A United Nations aircraft made an emergency landing at Aden Adde Airport in Mogadishu on Tuesday afternoon April 1 following a mechanical malfunction involving its front landing gear.
Fevori LLC, a Turkish company that manages the airport, confirmed the incident.
Authorities said that a “small fire” was put out after the aircraft crash-landed at the airport, but no injuries were reported among the 22 people on board in the incident that occurred around 2pm local time.
The incident, which was also confirmed by the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), happened after the pilot conducted an emergency landing, during which the nose of the aircraft made contact with the surface.
“Thankfully, there were no fatalities or serious injuries. All individuals were safely evacuated and provided with medical checks and support on site,” the company added.
“The aircraft was flying UN personnel to Baidoa, but experienced issues getting the gear down. A decision was made to divert to Mogadishu,” a statement from Favori LIc said.
The airport’s taxiway was temporarily closed to facilitate the emergency response and aircraft recovery.
The De Havilland Dash 8 (DH8D) aircraft operated by the UNSOS was departing from Mogadishu to Baidoa when the incident happened.
The company said it responded to the incident within minutes, ensuring the safe evacuation of all passengers on board.
As a result of the incident, the taxiway was temporarily closed to facilitate the emergency response and aircraft recovery but has since been reopened for normal operations.
“A full investigation is underway in coordination with aviation authorities and the United Nations,” the company said.
A statement by SCAA said the aircraft experienced a technical issue with its nose after departing the airport at 11:16 am local time, forcing the pilot to initiate a return to Mogadishu.
“The aircraft safely executed a belly landing at Aden Adde International Airport at 13:28 local time. There were no casualties, and damage to the aircraft was minimal,” the authority said.
The incident happened barely two weeks after five Kenyans died in an aircraft crash south west of Mogadishu after departing Dhobley en route to Aden Adde International Airport.
SCAA confirmed that the aircraft in this incident, a DHC-5D Buffalo, registration number 5Y-RBA, was operated by Trident Aviation Limited and government agencies alongside partners.
Bodies of the deceased have since been brought to Kenya, including the aircraft’s pilot, Captain Mohammed Abdul Noor, who was buried under Muslim customs two days after the fateful incident.
According to the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), the plane crashed after delivering supplies to African Union forces on March 22, at 5.43pm local time.
SCAA said the DHC-5D Buffalo was operated by Trident Aviation Ltd, which is registered in Kenya.
The plane was said to have experienced mechanical problems while in Dhobley, but reports said it had been fixed, according to media reports.
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