Hiiraan Online
Saturday June 3, 2017
The plan hit several tree's and barriers as it crash landed at Garbahare airport in Gedo region on Saturday. HOL
Kismayo (HOL) - A plane carrying humanitarian aid destined for feeding centers crashed near Garbahare airport on Saturday, sustaining heavy damages.
The aid plane was reportedly contracted by the WFP to carry specialized nutritious foods - including High-Energy Biscuits (HEBs) for children in drought-stricken areas in the Gedo region.
Both the pilot and the single passenger emerged safely from the aircraft, the food cargo was also largely unharmed.
District Commissioner Iman Adow Karshe told HOL by phone that the plane sustained heavy damage due to landing.
“The WFP plane was carrying food aid for children, I’m at the airport now and the plane is destroyed.”
“The passengers on the plane told us that the plane experienced a technical problem in the air and when they tried to land they crashed into tree’s and large security barrier.” Mr. Karshe added.
Garbahare airport is tough landing because of the mountain in front of the runway. Pilots must first clear the mountain before descending very rapidly for a landing. The maneuver would have been even more challenging if the pilot was dealing with mechanical problems with the plane.
The aid plane is the second aircraft in less than a week to crash land in an airport in Somalia. The United Nations took over responsibility for managing Somalia’s airspace following the collapse of the central government. In May 1996, the Civil Aviation Caretake Authority for Somalia (CACAS) was formed and has been in control since. Many aviation experts worry that the arrangement has created an atmosphere whereby air maintenance and specification reviews are neglected.
