Authorities are looking into an accident that killed five persons on board a Kenyan-registered aircraft at least 24 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, Somalia.
On Saturday, March 22, the event was confirmed by the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA).
According to SCAA, every crew member on board “tragically” died instantly.
Since then, the tragedy has been communicated to the victims’ relatives.
The accident’s cause has not yet been identified.
The Aviation Authority expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and stated that the cargo plane crashed on Saturday at approximately 5:43 p.m. local time while returning from Dhobley town in the Lower Juba region after delivering supplies to the African Union forces.
The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) troops from Kenya, who are in charge of Sector II in Jubaland state, have their headquarters at Dhobley. The crew members’ identities were not made public right away.
A few hours after the incident was confirmed, the Authority released a statement stating, “The aircraft involved was a DHC-5D Buffalo with serial number 109 and registration 5Y-RBA.”
The group was about to touch down at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport. On board, there were five individuals who had all sadly died.
The authority further stated that the aircraft is owned by Trident Aviation Limited, a Kenyan company.
Due to the al-Shabaab threat in Somalia and the country’s deteriorating road system, many individuals choose air travel since it is quicker, safer, and more secure.
A short-takeoff and landing aircraft, the DHC-5D Buffalo is commonly employed for cargo transportation, especially in isolated areas and on uneven terrain.
Experts attribute Somalia’s infamous aviation mishaps on outdated aircraft, inadequate infrastructure, and challenging operating circumstances.
Two persons were killed when another Kenyan cargo plane crashed in Somalia in January 2024.
When the aircraft swerved off the runway, it was carrying humanitarian supplies to the regional headquarters of the World Food Programme (WFP).
Just before the cargo plane touched down at the airport, it crashed.
