Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Uganda: Witnesses Insist Plane That Crash - Landed Is New Fighter Jet

Entebbe — Witnesses of the Entebbe International airport plane crash-landing on Monday evening insist it was one of the new jet fighters acquired from Russia, despite the army denial.

The plane crash-landed on the runway during a test-flying exercise, causing stampede at Entebbe International Airport. In an attempt to explain the incident, the army and Civil Aviation Authority gave conflicting accounts.

The Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson, Mr Ignie Igundura, said it was a military plane, but the army spokesman, Col. Felix Kulayigye said it was a private one.

The UPDF Air force spokesperson, Capt. Tabaro Kiconco, had earlier said it was the army training air craft that crash-landed because of "pilot's error". Col. Kulayigye said the plane suffered minor damage after it landed on its belly.

But Mr Isaac Mukasa, a boda boda cyclist at Kigungu, said he saw the new fighter jet land on its belly on the runway at Entebbe Airport and fire trucks rush to spray it with water.

"I was at Kigungu stage and heard a bang on the runway prompting us to run and see what was happening. I then saw the jet moving on its belly for some distance and it stopped," he said adding: "Two fire trucks then hurried to pour water on the plane before two crew members jumped out and later security operatives chased us away."

Mr Hasjif Kabanda, a resident of Kigungu, said he heard a bang and later excited youth in Kigungu started shouting that the fighter jet, which they said used to make a lot of noise, had crashed. South African Airways and Kenya Airways were diverted to Nairobi while Quatar Airlines flight was delayed because the runway was blocked until 9:20pm when flights resumed.

Uganda recently bought six fighter jets and other military hardware worth $744 (1.8trillion) from Russia. The procurement attracted criticisms after Bank of Uganda Governor Tumusiime Mutebile said he was forced to drain national reserves to buy the jets.

http://allafrica.com

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