Preliminary investigations by Somalia’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation have revealed that the aircraft accident that occurred at Aden Abdulle Airport in Mogadishu on July 11 was caused by wind shear at the landing area (Runway 05).
This incident involved an E120 aircraft belonging to Halla Airlines, which skidded on the runway before hitting a fence and detaching the cockpit, with a wheel seen flying from the plane. The accident resulted in two minor injuries among the 30 passengers and four crew members on board.
Wind shear is a change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance, which can occur either horizontally or vertically and is most often associated with strong temperature inversions or density gradients, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The ministry’s statement, dated July 27, revealed that the Tanzanian pilot lost control of the plane after it landed due to strong winds it encountered, causing it to break the left main landing gear. This caused the aircraft to go off the runway to the left side, crashing into the fence.
The Director General at the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Bashir Moalim, emphasized that the safety of passengers remains their top priority and that they are committed to investigating the accident “thoroughly and transparently” in accordance with international standards.
The ministry stated that it will issue a final report within one year, in accordance with the Civil Aviation Authority Act, after studying the information from the Black Box and CVR once the general investigation is completed.
The aircraft had taken off from Garowe Airport and was destined for Aden Abdulle Airport in Mogadishu. The ministry emphasized that the aircraft had undergone maintenance on May 5 and was granted the Release to Service certificate, showing that it was airworthy.
The weather was good, and there was no rain at the time of the accident, with the wind blowing from the southwest (210) at a speed of 17 miles per hour. The previous aircraft had landed on the same runway with the same weather condition. The captain, a Tanzanian, had an ATPL (Air Transport Pilot License) and had enough experience to operate the plane.
This is not the first time an aircraft has experienced wind shear at the Aden Abdulle Airport. On July 18, 2022, a Jubba Airways Fokker 50 crashed during landing on runway 05 at the Aden Adde International Airport due to wind shear, after which the pilots lost control of the aircraft during the final approach to runway 05. The Fokker 50 hit the runway hard, and the left-hand wing broke at the wing root. The aircraft rolled inverted and came to rest next to the runway. A fire broke out but was extinguished by firefighters. Three passengers suffered minor injuries.
Furthermore, on August 9, 2013, an Antonov An-24 operated by the Ethiopian Air Force crashed while attempting to land at Aden Abdulle International Airport. Investigations revealed that the accident was caused by pilot error, as the pilots did not follow the proper landing procedures.
