Key Saitoti chopper parts ‘were replaced’

In Summary

• An engineer who had been tasked with overseeing the maintenance of the aircraft, Mr Aristide Loumouamou, said the Vehicle Engine Monitoring Display (VEMD) was replaced in December 2011 while Engine Data Recorder (EDR) was also substituted on June 8.
• Mr Loumouamou, a Congolese, said he also changed the batteries of the helicopter on June 8, 2012 but did not fill in the warranty form.
• The engineer said he could not have allowed the helicopter to fly on June 8 onwards after a red light emerged indicating a failure of EDR but he received an e-mail from Eurocopter — the manufactures of the aircraft — that it could fly for 200 hours.

Two major components were replaced in less than a year in a helicopter that crashed four months ago killing Internal Security minister George Saitoti. 

An engineer who had been tasked with overseeing the maintenance of the aircraft, Mr Aristide Loumouamou, said the Vehicle Engine Monitoring Display (VEMD) was replaced in December 2011 while Engine Data Recorder (EDR) was also substituted on June 8.

VEMD is a simulation (reproduction) tool developed to provide a trainer with an opportunity to improve skills while EDR is the real time recording of an engine in a chopper at any given time.

Mr Loumouamou, a Congolese, said he also changed the batteries of the helicopter on June 8, 2012 but did not fill in the warranty form.

The engineer said he could not have allowed the helicopter to fly on June 8 onwards after a red light emerged indicating a failure of EDR but he received an e-mail from Eurocopter — the manufactures of the aircraft — that it could fly for 200 hours.

“Were it not for the e-mail, I could not have allowed the aircraft to fly,” he said before the commission headed by Lady Justice Kalpana Rawal that is investigating the cause of the accident.

Also killed in the June 10 tragedy were Prof Saitoti’s deputy Orwa Ojodeh, pilots Nancy Gituanja and Luke Oyugi, bodyguards Joshua Tonkei and Thomas Murimi.  (READ: Kenyan ministers killed in chopper crash)

Mr Loumouamou, the 50th witness in the inquiry, added: “I could not question the e-mail from my manufacturer despite the red light and allowed the aircraft to fly.”

He said Ms Gituanja had also refused to fly the chopper but the e-mail was an assurance that she could do so.

Mr Loumouamou declined to answer most of the questions from lead counsel James Warui, saying his CEO - Fabrice Cognant - was better placed to do so.

He also denied that he was posted to Kenya to monitor the performance of VEMD.

The engineer said it was normal for such defects to occur in an aircraft and further denied the aircraft was a prototype (model) which was still undergoing tests.

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