AFTERMATH of the Engine Fire

Iris McCallum continues her stories about her early years with Air Kenya. This month she tells us about the immediate aftermath of her dramatic engine fire and crash, and her subsequent 'getting back onto the saddle'.

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MY PASSENGERS AND I got safely out and away from the burning aircraft, and we only stopped running when we thought we would be safe from any explosions. Maybe we had watched too many movies.

As I looked back at the burning aircraft, I noticed that the people from Miseleni village were swarming towards the wreck, attracted by all the noise and strangers ‘dropping in’. We were a safe distance away, but they wouldn’t be if they got too close. I shouted to them in Kiswahili “Rudi nyuma! Rudi nyuma!” (Get back. Get back)!

I asked one of the young men to collect buckets, or karais (big dishes) so that we could attempt to use sand to put out the fire around the aircraft. Being February, it was the dry season and the bushes were very dry and flammable.

In no time at all the villagers arrived with buckets and greatly assisted in putting the fire out. Fortunately the burning fuel and oil had gone downhill, away from the aircraft.

With the fire almost under control, I crawled back into the aircraft and took out the fire extinguisher which I used on the still-smouldering wing leading edge. I also removed our cool box of drinks together with my flight bag, medical box and the passengers’ personal articles.

I did not know how long we would have to wait to be rescued. We were in the rural countryside and not much traffic would be coming along this road.