Francis Ogolla: Investigative Report Shows Cause of Plane Crash that Killed Celebrated KDF General
- General Francis Ogolla perished in a chopper crash in April 2024; he died with eight other military personnel
- A probe team constituted by the Ministry of Defence established that the ill-fated Bell Huey helicopter he had boarded tumbled in Elgeyo Marakwet after developing engine problems midair
- Ogolla, who rose the ranks through the Kenya Air Force, died aged 62 and was survived by his widow Aileen Ogolla, and their two children, Joel Rabuku and Lorna Omondi Ogolla
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The helicopter that killed Kenya's Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Francis Ogolla suffered engine malfunction moments before the crash, a report by a probe team shows.
Source: Facebook
Seeking to quash the belief that the ill-fated Bell Huey helicopter (reg KAF 1501) was a written-off vintage, the Board of Enquiry formed by the Ministry of Defence established that the aircraft had no reported mechanical problems and that it had been used at the service of unnamed eminent persons days before the tragic accident.
What caused Francis Ogolla's chopper crash?
Further, the report showed that the aircraft in question had been subjected to regular maintenance and checks, and any time it flew, a qualified crew was onboard.
According to the board, the chopper tumbled in Elgeyo Marakwet due to an engine breakdown that developed midair and which the pilots onboard unsuccessfully tried to handle.
A total of 12 witnesses, including three eyewitnesses who were on the ground at the time of the crash and two survivors, gave their accounts of the tragic events that informed the final report.
"The Huey Helicopter KAF 1501 was assessed to have had a relatively high level of reliability, having conducted several operational and training missions, including VIP flights. Further, the flight was operated by a qualified, competent crew. However, dependent on information from the survivors, after experiencing complete power loss, the pilots of KAF 1501 attempted to control the helicopter to a clear landing zone but lost positive control of the aircraft. Based on facts and evidence gathered and indicated in the findings above, the Board of Inquiry is of the opinion that the Bell UH-1H-II (Huey) Helicopter KAF 1501 crashed due to engine malfunction," the report seen by TUKO.co.ke partly read.
The probe team discovered that the chopper particularly suffered an engine compressor stall due to airflow instability, which consequently weakened the engine, ultimately causing a complete breakdown.
The report dismissed weather and communication breakdown as having been other possible causes of the crash, given that the clouds on the flight path on that day were scattered and temperatures were at favourable degrees; also the crew team was in constant communication with various stations it corresponded with.
Who else died in General Ogolla's chopper crash?
Ogolla died alongside Brigadier Swale Saidi, Colonel Duncan Keittany, Lieutenant Colonel David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu, Captain Sora Mohamed, Captain Hillary Litali, Senior Sergeant John Kinyua Mureithi, Sergeant Cliphonce Omondi, and Sergeant Rose Nyawira.
He was laid to rest at his native home in Siaya county on April 21, 2024, three days after the crash.
The 62-year-old is survived by his widow Aileen Ogolla, and their two children, Joel Rabuku and Lorna Omondi Ogolla.
Source: Getty Images
How Francis Ogolla's rose ranks to be KDF chief
Ogolla's journey in the Kenyan military started in 1984 when he joined the Kenyan Air Force as a second-tier lieutenant.
He had previously trained as a fighter pilot with the US Air Force.
Within more than three decades, the deceased rose to prominence, becoming the commander of the Kenya Air Force in 2018.
He held this role until 2023, when President William Ruto appointed him as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) following the end of General Robert Kibochi's four-year tenure as the CDF.
Ogolla, who was slated to retire in 2025, was the first defence chief to pass away while in office.
An accomplished scholar, Ogolla was an alumnus of France's École Militaire de Paris, the National Defence College of Kenya, Egerton University, and the University of Nairobi.
How does KDF leadership rotate?
Ogolla's appointment to the CDF position in 2023 adhered to the rotational system introduced by Daudi Tonje, a former military chief, which ensured that the post alternated between the Kenya Navy, Kenya Army, and Kenya Air Force.
As indicated earlier, Ogolla took over the leadership of the Kenya Defence Forces from Kibochi, who had previously headed the Kenya Army.
Before Kibochi, Samson Mwathethe, from the Kenya Navy, held the CDF position.
Prior to Mwathethe's tenure, General Julius Karangi from the Kenya Air Force served as the defence chief.
It was now time for a Kenya Navy boss to take over the KDF; Kenya Navy's chief –at the time of Ogolla's death- General Charles Kahariri was appointed the new CDF and holds the post to date.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Kai Eli (Politics and current affairs editor) Eli Kai is currently working with TUKO as a politics and current affairs editor. He has two years of experience in digital journalism. He has been feted for his meritorious coverage of Kenya's 2022 General Election. Eli joined Tuko.co.ke in 2021. Email: eli.odaga@tuko.co.ke
Asher Omondi (Copyeditor) Asher Omondi is a political and current affairs editor with over six years of experience in digital media. Previously, he had worked in various organisations both as a social media manager and a monitor (FEMNET, Ghafla Kenya). He was a Broadcast Journalism student at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication class of 2013. You can reach Asher at asher.omondi@tuko.co.ke.
