A United Nations aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Aden Adde Airport in Mogadishu on Tuesday afternoon due to a mechanical issue with its front landing gear, as confirmed by Fevori LLC, the Turkish company managing the airport.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) also verified the incident, which occurred after the pilot executed an emergency landing, resulting in the nose of the aircraft touching the ground.
“Fortunately, there were no fatalities or serious injuries. All passengers were safely evacuated and received medical evaluations and assistance on-site,” the company stated.
The De Havilland Dash 8 (DH8D) aircraft, operated by UNSOS, was en route from Somalia to Baidoa at the time of the incident.
The company reported that it responded promptly, ensuring the safe evacuation of all individuals aboard.
In response to the situation, the taxiway was temporarily closed to allow for emergency operations and aircraft recovery, but it has since reopened for regular use.
“A comprehensive investigation is currently underway in collaboration with aviation authorities and the United Nations,” the company noted.
According to a statement from SCAA, the aircraft encountered a technical problem with its nose shortly after taking off at 11:16 am local time, prompting the pilot to return to Mogadishu.
“The aircraft successfully performed a belly landing at Aden Adde International Airport at 13:28 local time. There were no casualties, and the damage to the aircraft was minimal,” the authority reported.
This incident occurred just two weeks after a tragic aircraft crash claimed the lives of five Kenyans southwest of Mogadishu, following their departure from Dhobley en route to Aden Adde International Airport.
SCAA confirmed that the aircraft involved in that incident, a DHC-5D Buffalo with registration number 5Y-RBA, was operated by Trident Aviation Limited in conjunction with government agencies and partners.
The remains of the deceased individuals have been repatriated to Kenya, including the aircraft’s pilot, Captain Mohammed Abdul Noor, who was interred according to Muslim traditions two days following the tragic event.
