Five crewmembers dead after Kenyan cargo plane crashes in Somalia

On March 22, 2025, a Kenyan-registered De Havilland Canada DCH-5D Buffalo cargo plane crashed as it prepared to land at Mogadishu-Aden Abdulle International Airport (MGQ) in Somalia. According to the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), all five crew members reported to be Kenyan nationals, lost their lives in the accident.

The aircraft involved, registered as 5Y-RBA and operated by Kenyan air cargo operator Trident Aviation, came down in Ceel Xabaaloow, a village located around 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Mogadishu Airport. The crash occurred at 17:43 local time as the aircraft concluded a domestic cargo flight from Dhobley airstrip in southwest Somalia to Mogadishu, although further details as to the cause of the accident remain limited at the time of writing.

Tragic news: A Kenyan-registered DHC-5 Buffalo cargo aircraft (5Y-RBA) operated by Trident Aviation has crashed 24km SW of Mogadishu while en route from Dhobley to Mogadishu. All 5 crew members, all Kenyan nationals, have sadly perished. #AviationNews #Somalia #Kenya pic.twitter.com/3VBmYehRDN— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) March 23, 2025 Reports by various local news outlets indicated that the aircraft had experienced technical difficulties in Dhobley earlier on the day of the accident, although a local source claimed the issues had been resolved before its departure on the ill-fated flight to Mogadishu. However, other reports have stated that the plane experienced a further technical failure en route and lost contact with air traffic control at approximately 17:43 local time.

The wreckage of the plane was later discovered by search teams from the National Intelligence Security Agency in the settlement of Ceel Xabaaloow near Jasiira, an outer suburb of Mogadishu. The bodies of all five crewmembers were quickly recovered and were transferred to a hospital in the Somalian capital.

The flight was reportedly flying to Mogadishu transporting supplies to the African Union forces – a multinational peacekeeping service deployed to maintain vital services and protect national infrastructure in Somalia as the country continues to face significant challenges due to an ongoing conflict with Al-Shabaab, a transnational jihadist military and political organization based in Somalia. The conflict has resulted in a desperate humanitarian situation exacerbated by drought and food insecurity, as well as political instability, with the central government struggling to exert control over the entire country. 

Darian Froese / Wikimedia CommonsLocal government agencies in Mogadishu, along with emergency services, and other local partners conducted a rescue operation at the crash site and the SCAA has begun a preliminary investigation to determine the likely cause of the crash. The organization stated that further information on the accident would be released once their initial investigations had been completed.

De Haviland of Canada built 126 DHC-5 Buffalos between 1964 and 1986, with the vast majority being built to fulfill orders placed by the United States Army and the Canadian armed forces. With its twin-engine high-wing configuration, the Buffalo was designed as a multi-role utility aircraft and was a continuation of De Havilland’s reputation of designing and building aircraft capable of short take-off and landing operations which began with earlier models such as the DHC-4 Caribou.

Balcer / Wikimedia CommonsAccording to Aviation Safety Network, this latest crash involving a Trident Aviation Buffalo is the fourth such accident since 1996, when another aircraft was severely damaged in a landing accident. That aircraft (5H-BAF) was subsequently repaired and resumed flying duties for the airline.

Then in 2007, another Buffalo (5Y-MEG) was involved in a ground collision with another aircraft resulting in damage to the Buffalo’s wing and engine. Lastly, in 2008, aircraft 5Y-OPL was substantially damaged during a landing accident in which the right-hand propeller struck the ground, and the landing gear collapsed. The aircraft was subsequently written off.

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