Investigators face tough task recovering evidence from fatal Samburu helicopter crash
The investigators cite fire, rugged terrain as the key impediments to recovering crucial evidence to aide the probe into the fatal Samburu helicopter crash that killed all the seven people, majority of them foreigners on board.
Investigators probing Wednesday’s fatal helicopter crash at Mt Olololwe in Samburu County are facing a challenging task recovering and preserving evidence from the rugged site, which was extensively damaged by fire.
The Air Accident Investigations Department (AAID), which is leading the investigation, said on Friday that all recoverable wreckage and debris would be collected from the crash site and transported to Nairobi under its custody for further examination.
Despite the difficult terrain and extensive damage to the helicopter, AAID said the investigation was progressing and that a preliminary report would be released within 30 days. The final report is expected within 12 months.
The probe will involve detailed examination and documentation of the accident site and wreckage, recovery and preservation of evidence, and assessment of the helicopter’s systems and components.
Investigators will also review the aircraft’s operational and maintenance records and analyse flight-path information and other available data.
Specialist examinations and technical tests will be conducted where necessary as investigators seek to establish the causal and contributory factors behind the crash and reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments.
AAID said all relevant states and parties had been notified and were participating in accordance with their respective roles under Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which provides the framework for investigating aircraft accidents.
France’s Bureau of Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA), representing the State of Design and State of Manufacture of the aircraft and engine, has appointed an accredited representative and technical advisers to participate in the investigation.
The French representatives are expected to take part in relevant technical activities, including examination of evidence and access to technical information, under the direction and coordination of the AAID Investigator-in-Charge.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also appointed an expert from its Office of Transportation Disaster Assistance because five of the victims were US citizens.
AAID stressed that the investigation is being conducted strictly to establish the causes of the accident and help prevent future crashes, rather than to assign blame or liability.
The crash claimed the lives of all seven people aboard the helicopter on Wednesday, August 19. Among the victims were Ecuadorian intelligence official Michele Sensi Contugi, his wife, Stephany Hollihan, and five American citizens.
Sensi-Contugi, 44, was an Italian citizen who also held Ecuadorian nationality and headed Ecuador’s national intelligence agency.
The bodies of the victims were transferred to Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi, where postmortem examinations were conducted and samples collected.
Authorities have yet to determine what caused the helicopter to crash.
However, investigators are now relying on the wreckage, technical evidence, flight data, operational records and other available information to establish what happened in the final stages of the flight and identify the factors that contributed to the accident.
AAID said the investigation remains ongoing and cautioned that the preliminary findings will form part of a continuing process, with the final report providing a more comprehensive account of the circumstances and causes of the crash.
