Kenyan Cargo Plane Crashes in Somalia, Killing All 5 Crew Members

An aircraft registered in Kenya crashed at least 24 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, Somalia killing five people on board.

The Somalia Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) confirmed the Saturday March 22 incident, noting that all the crew members on board ‘tragically’ perished on the spot.

The cargo plane was returning from Dhobley town in Lower Juba region after delivering supplies to the African Union forces when it crashed on Saturday at around 5:43 pm local time, the Aviation Authority said, while condoling with the families of the deceased.

Dhobley is the headquarters of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) troops from Kenya who operate Sector Il within Jubaland state. The identities of the crew members were not immediately revealed.

“The aircraft involved was DHC-5D Buffalo with serial number 109 and registration 5Y-RBA,” the Authority said in a statement, a tew hours after the crash was confirmed. The team was about to land at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.

“There were five persons on board, all of them who have tragically lost their lives.

The flight departed from Dhobley and was headed to Aden Adde International With the aviation teams working to get more information, it was established that the aircraft was operated and registered in Kenya.

The Authority stated that Trident Aviation Limited, which operates in Kenya, owns the aircraft.

“The aircraft was operated by Trident Aviation Limited, and government agencies and partners are already on-site for search and rescue missions. More updates will be provided when information is available.”

Somalia’s dilapidated road infrastructure makes many people prefer air transport which is faster, safer, and secure due to the al-Shabaab menace in the country.

The DHC-5D Buffalo is a short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft typically used in transporting cargo, particularly in rough terrains and remote locations.

Somalia has been notorious for aircraft accidents with experts blaming the phenomenon on aging aircraft, limited infrastructure, and difficult operating conditions.

In January 2024, another Kenyan cargo aircraft crashed in Somalia, killing two on board.

The plane was transporting humanitarian supplies to the World Food Programme Agency (WFP) regional offices when it veered off the runway.

The cargo plane crashed moments before landing at the airport.

Months later, in July 2024, a domestic flight operated by Halla Airlines from Garowe to Mogadishu crash-landed at the Aden Adde International Airport, leaving two people with injuries.