What happened
On a night cargo mission transporting perishable goods for the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), an aircraft traveling from Ostend to Mogadishu via Cairo experienced a series of failed landing attempts. The flight was operating outside of the standard operating hours for Mogadishu-Aden Abdulle International Airport, which is scheduled to be open only between 0600LT and 1800LT.
During the final approach to the destination, the crew was unable to identify the runway, leading to an initial go-around. A subsequent approach attempt was also aborted, prompting another go-around. Following these unsuccessful attempts, the aircraft moved north of the capital. Due to the circumstances, the captain executed an emergency belly landing in a bush area near Afgooye, located approximately 25 km northwest of Mogadishu. The impact resulted in the loss of both engines, and the aircraft was declared a total loss.
Findings
Investigations into the incident highlighted several critical factors. The crew began their descent while the airport was already closed to traffic, as sunset had occurred at 1747LT. The necessity of the emergency landing was likely driven by fuel exhaustion, making a landing at the primary airport impossible. Furthermore, there was no recorded reason why the crew did not divert to a designated alternate airport during the flight.
Regarding the impact on personnel, there were two fatalities and four uninjured individuals on board, with two crew members requiring hospitalization following the crash.