Barely three months after a small plane crashed in Arusha another Cessna charter plane crashed in the region on Tuesday evening, injuring seven passengers, with the pilot suffering severe wounds.
Acting Arusha Regional Police Commander, ASP Japhet Lusingu explained that the plane crashed in Merugwayi village, Longido district, Arusha Region, soon after taking off from the village airstrip. Among those on board was a seven year old child.
Run by a Catholic Church, the plane, registration numbers TN/4206, transports flying doctors who provide medical services in the Ngorongoro district, particularly the Enduleni Hospital located close to the World Heritage Site, Ngorongoro Crater.
On the morning of the accident the charter plane took off from Arusha airport at around 8am, flown by two pilots, Jaffer Shakir (23) and Patten Patrick (65) and headed to Ngorongoro district. It then returned around 2pm before taking off again an hour later for Longido district but this time with five passengers.
“The plane landed safely at the Merugwayi airstrip, where it was to airlift a patient. But bad weather hampered the take off attempt and the small plane succumbed to the strong winds crashing in the wilderness,” the police officer said.
The accident victims were rescued and have been hospitalised at the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. The passengers were Nalepo Mamasita (38), Anna Laizer (21)Naninkoi Laizer (7), Banson Mukoya (28), and Krizosto Malima (30).
Another plane crash in Arusha in April killed a prominent businessman Joseph Sambeke.