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Two Kenya Air Force officers feared dead in Kwale plane crash
The wreckage of a Kenya Air Force plane that crashed at Ndavaya in Kinango, Kwale, on June 14, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Witnesses said the plane had been hovering in the skies over the remote Kinango area on Saturday when it suddenly went quiet.
- Data from air traffic monitors showed that the aircraft took off from Mombasa at 11:39 am and disappeared from radar near Diani.
Two Kenya Air Force officers are feared dead after a plane they were flying crashed on Saturday afternoon at Ndavaya in Kinango, Kwale County.
Confirming the incident on their official X account, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) said the Kenya Air Force Grob 120A aircraft experienced an emergency while on a training flight in Kwale.
“Earlier today, 14th June 2025, a Kenya Air Force Grob 120A aircraft experienced an emergency while on a training flight in the general area of Mwakijembe Primary School, Ndavaya, Kwale County. On board were two pilots. Recovery is ongoing,” KDF tweeted at 4:30 pm.
The wreckage of a Kenya Air Force plane that crashed at Ndavaya in Kinango, Kwale, on June 14, 2025.
Witnesses said the plane had been hovering in the skies over the remote Kinango area on Saturday when it suddenly went quiet.
They heard a loud bang a few minutes after midday, shocking the entire village.
"I suddenly heard a loud bang and rushed toward the scene. We found smoke coming out of the plane, which had split into two," said a witness.
He added that residents could see two immobile people on the ground who appeared to have been injured. There was no fire.
According to residents, small aircraft frequently fly over the area.
Data from air traffic monitors showed that the aircraft took off from Mombasa at 11:39 am and disappeared from radar near Diani before crashing around 12:06 pm.
Suddenly stopped mid-air
Ndavaya Area Chief Naomi Kadama said residents had observed two planes on Saturday morning, with one later crashing.
"It suddenly stopped mid-air, rolled several times, and then crashed on a resident's farm," said Ms Kadama.
The Grob G120A is a single-engine basic trainer and aerobatic aircraft designed and developed by Grob Aircraft of Germany.
It is intended to provide basic and advanced flight training and is typically occupied by two people, according to the Air Force Technology website.
According to FlightAware, a live flight-tracking application, the flight with registration number KAF718 was last seen near Mombasa, Kenya, at 11:39am on Saturday and lost its signal approximately 27 minutes later.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde said investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the incident and whether the victims were trainees.
