Wednesday April 2, 2025
The UN plane after making an emergency landing at the Aden Adde International Airport.
Mogadishu (HOL) – A United Nations-registered aircraft made an emergency landing at Mogadishu’s Adan Adde International Airport on Tuesday afternoon after its front landing gear failed to deploy, officials said.
The DHC-8-402Q Dash 8, operated by Favori Llc and registered as 5Y-SMJ, was en route to Baidoa with 22 people on board, including UN personnel. It had just departed the Mogadishu airport when technical problems forced it to return and attempt a crash landing.
Ahmed Moallim Hassan, director general of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), said the aircraft “experienced technical issues after the front landing gear failed.”
“Emergency staff responded immediately and safely evacuated all passengers and crew,” Hassan said. “Fortunately, no one was injured.”
A small fire reportedly broke out during the landing but was quickly extinguished by airport emergency crews. The aircraft landed around 2 p.m. local time.
In a statement, Favori Llc said the decision to divert back to Mogadishu was made after the flight crew was unable to lower the landing gear.
Airport authorities temporarily closed a taxiway to facilitate the emergency response and recovery operation.
This marks the second aviation incident in Somalia in recent weeks, raising concerns over aircraft maintenance and aviation safety.
On March 22, a Kenyan-registered cargo plane crashed near Mogadishu while returning from Dhobley town in the Lower Jubba region. All five people on board were killed.
The DHC-5D Buffalo had reportedly delivered supplies to African Union forces before developing mechanical issues.
Both incidents are under investigation.
