>The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of narrow-body medium-range twin-engine jet airliners produced by Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer. Launched at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series has been a commercial success. The aircraft is used by both mainline and regional airlines around the world.
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Three people suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment, according to a statement from Kenya Airways headquarters in Nairobi.
Dar es Salaam/Nairobi. Some 55 people got a scare yesterday when the Kenya Airways plane they were travelling in from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam skidded off the runway during landing at around noon. There were 49 passengers and six crew on board at the time.
Three people suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment, according to a statement from Kenya Airways headquarters in Nairobi.
Earlier reports suggested that Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) was closed for all flights, with incoming flights diverted to Zanzibar, but airport authorities denied that this was the case.
Flight KQ-482 landed on Dar es Salaam’s Runway 23 in heavy rain but went off course and came to a stop in front of the fire station near taxiway X at about 11.40am. One engine is said to have been damaged.
The director general of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), Mr Fadhili Manongi, told this paper that preliminary reports showed that one engine of the aircraft failed. None of the passengers was injured and all passengers were evacuated through the emergency door.
The plane was removed from the scene immediately, he said, so the airport could be re-opened. There was no inbound flight at the time and so there was no need for flights to be diverted. Still, passengers had to wait for an alternative flight since the plane could not fly. Kenya Airways and Swissport officials in Dar es Salaam were unavailable for comment but reports from the airline’s headquarters in Nairobi indicated that three passengers suffered minor injuries when the airplane veered off the runway following heavy rains.
The passengers were taken to hospital for further observation. The Embraer 190 had 49 passengers and six crew members on board.
The airline confirmed the incident in a press statement sent to newsrooms on Friday afternoon. It noted that the incident happened on landing of flight KQ482 at Julius Nyerere International Airport and added: “The aircraft reportedly had a runway excursion in heavy rain. All passengers and crew were evacuated and we can confirm that three passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation and have been transferred to hospital for further observation.”
The Tanzanian and Kenyan governments will investigate the incident and give a report. “Kenya Airways wishes to confirm that we are cooperating fully with government investigative agencies in Tanzania and Kenya on this matter,” Kenya Airways boss Titus Naikuni said.
This accident comes only months after an Ethiopian-registered jet skidded off the runway in Arusha in mid-December last year. The larger plane took many by surprise when it landed at the smaller airport. But the Boeing 767-300ER was towed back to the runway and the pilots managed to fly from Arusha--even as many people believed it to be mission impossible given the size of the plane, much to the relief of airport staff.
The white plane, which had no brand markings besides its Ethiopian registration, roared above Arusha city as it headed to KIA and arrived within minutes. “It took off at 11:49am and landed at KIA at 11:57am,” an air traffic controller who spoke on condition of anonymity said then.
