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2007 TransAVIAexport Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 crash

Coordinates: 02°03′43.86″N 45°22′38.86″E / 2.0621833°N 45.3774611°E / 2.0621833; 45.3774611
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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article 2007 TransAVIAexport Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 crash, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 202519 sources
TransAVIAexport Airlines
Company typeAirline
IndustryCargo airline
Headquarters
Belarus
,
Belarus
ProductsCargo air transport


Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence

On 23 March 2007, a Belarusian-operated Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane managed by TransAVIAexport Airlines crashed near the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, amid the Battle of Mogadishu. The aircraft was transporting humanitarian supplies and repair machinery. A spokesperson from Belarus’s transport ministry reported that the plane had been shot down, though the Somali authorities maintained that the crash resulted from an accident. All eleven individuals on board lost their lives.

Prior incident

Earlier, on 9 March 2007, another Transaviaexport Ilyushin Il-76TD bearing the registration EW-78826, which was nearing completion of a flight from Entebbe to Mogadishu carrying Ugandan peacekeeping troops and equipment,[1][2] successfully executed an emergency landing at Mogadishu International Airport after being hit by a rocket propelled grenade and catching fire during its final approach. The projectile was reportedly launched from a boat as the aircraft flew overhead at approximately 150 metres (490 ft) altitude.[3][4] Onboard were nine Belarusian crew members alongside six soldiers from the Uganda People's Defence Force, all of whom survived unharmed.[4] Islamist militants claimed responsibility for the attack, targeting African Union peacekeepers whom they regarded as invading forces; however, Somali officials denied any hostile action, attributing the incident to mechanical failure.[3]

There were unconfirmed online reports alleging that this aircraft was secretly transporting infantry fighting vehicles intended for Ugandan forces, and that these vehicles were instrumental in protecting everyone on board.[5]

Aircraft and crew

The plane involved in the incident was an Ilyushin Il-76, a sizable cargo aircraft manufactured in Russia. It bore the registration EW-78849 and was operating a chartered freight mission transporting supplies to the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) peacekeeping forces stationed in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. The entire flight crew consisted of Belarusian nationals. Among those on board were four engineers who had recently completed repairs on another Il-76 that had survived an attempted shootdown two weeks prior. Much of the cargo aboard EW-78849 comprised equipment intended for fixing the previously damaged aircraft, while the remainder consisted of humanitarian relief materials. At the time of departure, the first aircraft remained grounded, and TransAVIAexport was evaluating whether to salvage parts from it.

Accident

EW-78849 was scheduled to return to Belarus, carrying equipment used in repairing the earlier damaged Il-76. The planned route included a stopover for refueling in Djibouti. Departing from Mogadishu International Airport at 14:00 local time, the flight was en route to Minsk. Somali Interior Minister Mohamed Mahamud Guled reported that shortly after reaching an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet, the pilot communicated an issue with engine number two and indicated an intention to turn back for an emergency landing. While attempting to return to the airport, one wing suddenly exploded and detached from the fuselage, falling into the Indian Ocean. The remainder of the aircraft continued flying at low altitude along the shoreline, engulfed in flames, before ultimately crashing.

The crash site was located in Kuluweyne, with major sections of debris scattered near a small farming settlement. A Reuters correspondent who visited the location described seeing crushed livestock, four bodies still lying on the ground, and wreckage dispersed across an area roughly equivalent to four football fields. Rescue teams discovered ten crew members deceased at the scene and found one survivor wandering nearby; he was rushed to a hospital but succumbed later that day. Despite the tragedy, operations at Mogadishu International Airport proceeded without interruption. The following day, Somali Prime Minister Ali Gedi and his delegation departed as planned for the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia.

Reported missile strike

An eyewitness to the crash recounted hearing what he suspected was a surface-to-air missile launch moments before the incident.[6] "I personally observed the aircraft, which was flying at a low altitude, being struck by a rocket and subsequently crashing," stated Shabelle correspondent Maryan Hashi.[7] Some accounts suggest the missile was launched from a small vessel,[8] while others indicate it originated near a local farmers' market.[9] The missile reportedly hit the aircraft at approximately 150 metres (490 ft) altitude.[10]

Flight crew

Tragically, all eleven individuals aboard lost their lives in the crash.[11] The remains were flown back to Belarus on 30 March 2007 aboard a Gomelavia plane.[12] Funeral services took place in Belarus on 2 April, attracting hundreds of mourners. Eight of the deceased were interred together at Maskouskiya cemetery, with the remainder laid to rest in Vitsebsk.[13]

Responses and consequences

Initially, Somali officials declared the cause of the crash as undetermined and later maintained that it resulted from an accident rather than hostile action.[14][7] Nonetheless, an Islamist website claimed responsibility for striking the aircraft with a missile, although it did not explicitly admit to this particular event.[7] Within one day following the crash, Belarusian authorities confirmed that the aircraft had been downed by missile fire.[10] Somali military personnel secured the crash site to prevent tampering.[15] In response to the tragedy, TransAVIAexport halted all flight operations to Somalia,[16] and Belarus issued warnings advising its carriers to avoid Somali airspace.[17] An official inquiry was initiated by Belarus’s transport prosecutor concerning breaches of Article 126 of its Criminal Code, which addresses acts of international terrorism.[5]

On 5 April 2007, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive prohibiting US airlines and commercial operators from flying below 26,000 feet (7,900 m) over Somali territory due to risks posed by rocket propelled grenades and shoulder-launched missiles.[18]

The Small Arms Survey's 2008 Yearbook attributes the downing of the aircraft to two 9K38 Igla missiles fired by al-Shabaab.[19]Template:Pn

See also

Template:Clear right

References

  1. ↑ "Государственная комиссия создана для расследования гибели белорусского экипажа в Сомали" [State commission formed to investigate Belarusian crew death in Somalia] (in Belarusian). Naviny.by. 25 March 2007. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  2. ↑ Template:ASN accident
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "A rocket struck Belarusian aid aircraft in Somalia". Independent Online. 13 March 2007. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "'UPDF mission plane targeted in Somalia' – Uganda reports". AllAfrica.com. New Vision. 13 March 2007. Archived from the original on 17 March 2007.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Was the Belarusian aircraft in Somalia carrying weapons?". GaroweOnline.com. Charter 97. 6 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014.
  6. ↑ Hassan, Mohamed Olad (24 March 2007). "Cargo aircraft downed in Somalia". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ABC
  8. ↑ "Missile strike claims lives of eleven Belarusians aboard plane". The Malaysia Sun. IANS. 24 March 2007. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Mogadishu cargo aircraft shot down in Somalia". CaribJournal. 24 March 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Belarus attributes Somali plane crash to missile strike". Reuters. 24 March 2007. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Briefing headlines: 3 April 2007". FlightGlobal. Flight International. 3 April 2007. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "Похороны погибшего в Сомали белорусского авиаэкипажа состоятся 2 апреля Читать полностью" [The funeral of the Belarusian crew that died in Somalia will be held on 2 April] (in Belarusian). TUT.BY. 31 March 2007. Archived from the original on 20 January 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  13. ↑ "Hundreds of Belarusians honor IL-76 crew members (Photo)". Charter'97. 2 April 2007. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012.
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named crew-passenger balance
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named The Independent
  16. ↑ Transaviaexport suspends flights to Somalia citing war reasons Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine – The National Legal Internet Portal of the Republic of Belarus – Obtained 23 April 2007.
  17. ↑ Belarusian aviation authorities advise airlines not to fly to Somalia– Interfax – Obtained 23 April 2007. Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ Croft, John (5 April 2007). "A MANPADS threat in Somalia prompts FAA altitude restrictions". London: FlightGlobal. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014.
  19. ↑ Small Arms Survey (2008). "Light Weapons: Products, Producers, and Proliferation". Small Arms Survey 2008: Risk and Resilience. Cambridge University Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-521-88040-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "Accidents/incidents for 2007" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.

External links

Template:Portalbar Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in Somalia Template:War in Somalia (2006–2009) Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2007 02°03′43.86″N 45°22′38.86″E / 2.0621833°N 45.3774611°E / 2.0621833; 45.3774611

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