This mornings news in Nairobi reports that a Kenya Airways Plane - KQ 507, a Boeing 737-800 has gone missing shortly after taking off from Douala, Cameroon last night (Friday 4th May). The report said that all communication was lost with Douala Airport shortly after take off. There are no further reports.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa....ap/index.html

CNN just said it was raining at the time of the flight. Very sad.

• Kenya Airways jet with 100 on board crashes in Cameroon, officials say
• Nairobi-bound jet went down near Niete, 125 miles from coastal city of Douala
• Relatives waiting in Nairobi in anguish at television news reports
Kenya Airways -- considered one of the safest airlines in Africa -- said most passengers were planning to transfer to ongoing flights in Nairobi. Naikuni said the plane was only 6 months old.

The last crash of an international Kenya Airways flight was on January 30, 2000, when Flight 431 was taking off from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on its way to Nairobi. Investigators blamed a faulty alarm and pilot error for that crash, which killed 169 people.

105 passengers from 23 countries, 9 crew. very sad.

So very sad.

Totally tragic....awful

Were there any tourists on that flight?

Reported today that there were no survivors.

Yes, lots of foreigners on the plane from many nationalities. 20 odd people from india too!!!

Hari

Having been out for drinks with some senior piolts last night, they mentioned their concern with KQ that due to the rapid expansion of the routes and frequencies, they cannot get enough pilots, and are forced to take on 1st officers with less and less hours under their belt. While the pilots undergo all the required training, there is a saing that goes "You cant put an old head on young shoulders". Let's hope that KQ does allow foreign pilots to join their crew, who have more flying hours.

Jeez....not good!!!

Yes, not good and scary. I always wonder who is actually behind the wheel on any of my flights.

And I also wonder who is behind the many, many wheels of the fast approaching vehicles on the other side of the road in Kenya, Tanzania, and on the roads near my home.

Unsettling information. Perhaps changes will be considered as a result of this tragedy.

It is scary. In India for example, with the current boom in the economy and the many many flights added literally on a daily basis, we hear of shortage of pilots!!! They have been recruiting pilots from all over the world....i just dont know how all the scruitiny works!!!

Hari

Not worth worrying about, though, is it.

John

No not worth worrying about it, until you switch the tv news and they keep saying pilot shortage, pilot shortage....and the airports need upgradation to accomodate the collosal increase in volume of air traffic. All going to plan at the moment. But Indian airports at the moment is a complete ZOO at the moment, added the strict security measures thesedays...it is AWFUL!!!