Kenyan cargo plane crashes in Somalia killing all 5 crew members

Officials are investigating an incident in which an aircraft registered in Kenya crashed at least 24 kilometres southwest of Mogadishu, Somalia, killing five people on board.

The Somalia Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) confirmed the incident on Saturday, March 22.

SCAA stated that all the crew members on board "tragically" perished on the spot.

The families of the victims have since been informed of the tragedy.

The cause of the accident is yet to be determined.

The cargo plane was returning from Dhobley town in the Lower Juba region after delivering supplies to the African Union forces when it crashed on Saturday at around 5:43 p.m. 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 II within Jubaland state. The identities of the crew members were not immediately revealed.

"The aircraft involved was a DHC-5D Buffalo with serial number 109 and registration 5Y-RBA," the Authority said in a statement a few hours after the crash was confirmed.

The team was about to land at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu. There were five people on board, all of whom had tragically lost their lives.

"The flight departed from Dhobley and was headed to Aden Adde International Airport. With the aviation teams working to gather more information, it was established that the aircraft was operated and registered in Kenya,” said a statement from the authority.

The authority added that Trident Aviation Limited, which operates in Kenya, owns the aircraft.

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

The DHC-5D Buffalo is a short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft typically used for 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 people on board.

The plane was transporting humanitarian supplies to the World Food Programme (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 Aden Adde International Airport, leaving two people injured.

Officials said they are investigating the incidents.