Mandera, Kenya: An EBB Air Embraer aircraft operating on the Nairobi-Mandera route veered off the runway during landing at Mandera Airstrip on Friday morning, in a runway excursion incident that triggered an emergency response but left all passengers and crew safe.
According to confirmations from aviation authorities and multiple reports, the aircraft departed from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi at around 6:55–6:56 a.m. carrying 32 passengers and 4 crew members, before arriving in Mandera at approximately 8:30–9:10 a.m. local time.
Preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft lost control after touchdown and overran the runway, eventually coming to rest in nearby vegetation or bushes beyond the paved surface of the airstrip.
Images circulating from the scene show the aircraft partially embedded in bushy terrain, with its fuselage extending off the runway area. Some visuals also indicated light smoke from the aircraft’s structure following the impact.
All 36 occupants were safely evacuated with the assistance of ground emergency teams deployed immediately after the incident. Authorities confirmed that no fatalities or injuries occurred, despite significant damage to the aircraft.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) stated that rescue teams responded promptly and secured the scene shortly after the aircraft came to a stop near the airstrip perimeter.
The aircraft involved is reported to be an Embraer regional aircraft operated by EBB Air, identified in some aviation records as registration 5Y-EBB.
The flight was a scheduled domestic service connecting Nairobi and Mandera, a route that serves government, humanitarian, and commercial travel in Kenya’s northeastern region.
Aviation authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the runway excursion. While the exact reason has not been confirmed, early considerations include landing conditions, runway surface factors, or possible technical issues. No official conclusion has yet been issued.
The Mandera Airstrip, located near the Kenya–Somalia–Ethiopia border region, is known for handling limited traffic, primarily charter, humanitarian, and regional domestic flights.
