April 7, 2010
By Steve Straw, serving in Gabon
On March 29, the Cessna 207 providing needed air ambulance service for Bongolo Hospital-the first such service in Gabon-suffered a loss of power and was forced to land. The following is an adapted excerpt from pilot Steve Straw’s recent update about the incident.
During a flight this past Monday, we experienced a loss in engine power and had to make a landing on a village road. No one in the aircraft or on the ground was injured; however, the aircraft could not avoid contact with a power line pole and a parked taxi on the narrow road.
We are so thankful that there were no injuries and that the landing went as well as it did. We were not too far from Libreville (Gabon’s capital city), so there was a great team of support that jumped into action to assist-expat teammates, U.S. Embassy staff, and local pastors. We are so grateful.
We are working with our safety organizations to evaluate what may have led to the problem. The airplane will be down for a while during repairs. Please pray for wisdom as we go through this process.
Learn More
Check out our work in Gabon.
Read Alace Straw’s (Steve’s wife) article about the new Bongolo aviation ministry in the March 2010 issue of Alliance Life magazine.