All flights to Arusha airstrip diverted to KIA interim clearance of taxed Boeing 767

BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER

20th December 2013

Ethiopian Airlines' Boeing 767 which made emergency landing at Arusha airstrip roundabout midday on Wednesday, apparently after failing to land at Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Following an emergency landing by Ethiopian Airlines 'B767-300ER' on Wednesday at the Arusha Municipal Airport, all flights to the strip has been diverted to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).

Kilimanjaro International Airport is 50 kilometres outside Arusha city where ironically, the Boeing 767 was originally supposed to land.

A statement from Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority circulated to the media yesterday said the authority is collaborating with Air Accident Investigation Branch from the Transport Ministry to investigate the incident.

Experts are already on site to make thorough investigations,” says the statement in part.
It is speculated that the amount of fuel on board the 767 will be a focus of the investigation.

The Boeing touched down at Arusha airport, a GA field with a 5,315 foot runway and overran the end of the runway and buried its nose gear in the soft grass patch. Passengers had to wait on the airplane until an air stair could be brought from Kilimanjaro airport before they could alight.

Sources fear that even if the airliner were stripped of seats and other equipment, it's unclear whether it will be able to leave Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport because of the short runway. It is still not known as to why the airliner was diverted to Arusha Municipal Airport instead of Nairobi or Dar es Salaam which would be the normal alternates.

Efforts to get more details on the incident in which no casualties are reported proved futile.  

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN