Experts checking the wreckage of the helicopter that crashlanded in Bigiri on Monday

By Donald Kiirya,

INVESTIGATIONS to establish the cause of the Police helicopter’s crash in Bugiri kicked off on Thursday. The helicopter, which had seven people on board, including the Prime Minister, crashlanded on Monday at the Bugiri hospital compound.

The investigations are being carried out by two officials from Agusta Westland, a South African company that manufactured the helicopter, Ugandan engineers and flight experts from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Andries Wannenburg, the Agusta Westland area manager, and his colleague, Franco Ganora, teamed up with the experts from CAA to inspect the wreckage.

They were also accompanied by Bill Singlair, a field representative of Pratt and Whitney, a Canadian-based company.

The local team of six Ugandan officials includes Col. Chris Mudoola, a flight expert who is leading the investigation, Henry Kitaka and Abubaker Mugonzi of CAA, as well as Godfrey Wangwa, an aircraft engineer with the Ugandan Police.

Mudoola said they would talk to people who saw the helicopter land.
In the process of inspecting the wreckage, the Bugiri district Police commander, Julius Owino, who was at the scene, confiscated a camera belonging to a Saturday Vision photo journalist as he took pictures of the wreckage.

Owino said he had orders not to allow anyone take photos of the chopper. He, however, later returned the camera.