An African Express Airways EMB-120 plane, carrying aid supplies for use in the fight against the coronavirus, crashed in Somalia on Monday, killing all six people on board.
State-run Somalia News Agency said “The plane from Mogadishu flew to Baidoa and then continued its flight to Bardale town where it crashed,” the agency said on its website. “It is not clear why it crashed.”
A former defence minister told Reuters that he had spoken to a witness at the airfield, who said it appeared to have been shot down.
Six people — the pilot, copilot, flight engineer and a trainee pilot, as well as two people working for the airline, were onboard, Transport Minister Mohamed Salad told Reuters. Five bodies have been recovered so far, he said.
Salad said he was sending a unit to investigate, who will arrive on Tuesday, and welcomed international assistance.
I have flown the African Express MD-82 and the DC-9-32, from Dubai via Mogadishu to Nairobi in 2014.
Feautre Image: Twitter/Breaking Aviation News
All three pilots have been laid to rest today… so sad may they fly high with the angels.. mr chui am impressed keep it up👍
I trained on that bird less than a year ago, it’s so sad
Shot down by an RPG is a little hard to believe. An RPG travels extremely slowly compared to an airplane. Would have had to be at very short range on approach. Even then a lucky shot.