UN plane makes emergency landing in Mogadishu after technical hitch
The De Havilland Dash 8 (DH8D) aircraft operated by the UNSOS was departing from Somalia to a yet-to-be-disclosed location when the incident happened.
A United Nations aircraft made an emergency landing at Aden Adde Airport in Mogadishu on Tuesday afternoon following a mechanical malfunction involving its front landing gear, Fevori LLC, a Turkish company that manages the airport, confirmed in a statement.
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.
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"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 De Havilland Dash 8 (DH8D) aircraft operated by the UNSOS was departing from Somalia 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 lost their lives 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 persons 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.
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