The year was 1971, and a plane had just taken off from Embakasi Airport, now Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), with Mombasa as the destination.
The journey was, however, cut short when the front landing gear failed moments after take off.
It had 23 passengers on board and the pilot taking precautionary measures requested permission to turn back.
The pilot was able to maneuver a daring crash landing with the front landing gear still malfunctioning.
In the rare footage capturing the potentially fatal moment, the front gear held for the first few seconds but gave in a few meters into the landing slamming the plane’s belly on the tarmac.
Luckily, as it came to a stop, the plane’s body did not burst into flames.
Brave men and women comprising a contingent of Nairobi fire brigade, GSU personnel and nurses hurriedly dashed to the plane’s site to rescue the occupants.
The quick response by the emergency services played a huge role in ensuring nobody was injured in the crash landing.
The Kenyan pilot was hailed a hero for executing the tricky landing with experience.
“It was nerve-shattering. We are only in one piece now thanks to the brilliance of the captain, and the rest of the crew were also magnificent. The were ice-cool, and helped to calm us down,” one passenger stated.
The crew worked together to ensure the passengers remained calm as the captain prepared the plane for the final approach into the crash landing.
