# Air crashes in Somalia: every major accident from 1981 to 2026 > Every major air crash and air attack in Somalia from 1981 to 2026: date, aircraft, place, deaths and cause as reported, with sources for each. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/air-crashes-in-somalia/ Last checked: 2026-11-13 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## In short | Date | Aircraft and operator | Place | Deaths | Source | |---|---|---|---|---| | 20 Jul 1981 | Fokker F27, Somali Airlines Flight 40 | near Balcad, Middle Shabelle | 50 (all on board) | [UPI, 20 July 1981](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/20/Somalia-Airlines-crash-kills-49/6557364449600/) | | 9 Mar 2007 | Il-76, TransAVIAexport | Mogadishu airport | 0 (hit by a rocket, landed) | Wikipedia | | 23 Mar 2007 | Il-76, TransAVIAexport | outskirts of Mogadishu | 11 (all crew) | Wikipedia | | 9 Aug 2013 | An-12, Ethiopian Air Force | Mogadishu airport | 4 of 6 crew | [BBC, 9 August 2013](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-23628549) | | 2 Feb 2016 | Airbus A321, Daallo Airlines Flight 159 | after take-off from Mogadishu | 1 (the bomber) | [BBC, February 2016](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35513348) | | 4 May 2020 | Embraer EMB 120, African Express Airways | Bardaale, Bay | 6 (all on board) | [Reuters, 5 May 2020](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-crash-idUSKBN22G27T) | | 14 Jul 2020 | Dash 8-400, Bluebird Aviation | Beledweyne airport | 0 | [Hiiraan Online, July 2020](https://hiiraan.com/news4/2020/July/179089/bluebird_aviation_plane_goes_down_at_beledweyne_airport.aspx) | | 18 Jan 2024 | Fokker 50, Jetways Airlines | Ceel Barde airstrip, Bakool | 1 (the pilot) | [Garowe Online, 20 January 2024](https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/pilot-killed-after-jetways-airlines-fokker-50-crashed-on-landing-at-airstrip-in-somalia) | | 22 Mar 2025 | DHC-5D Buffalo, Trident Aviation | 24 km south-west of Mogadishu | 5 (all on board) | [Kenyans.co.ke, 23 March 2025](https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/110236-somalia-confirms-kenyan-plane-crash-killed-5-near-mogadishu) | | 10 Feb 2026 | Fokker 50, StarSky Aviation | shore by Mogadishu airport | 0 (55 on board) | [The Citizen, February 2026](https://thecitizen.co.tz/africa/news/passengers-recount-horror-of-somalia-plane-crash-into-indian-ocean-5355292) | ## 1981: Somali Airlines Flight 40 The Fokker F27 was flying from Mogadishu to Hargeisa on 20 July 1981. It returned to Mogadishu after a fault, took off again, and crashed a few minutes later near [Balcad](/en/regions/middle-shabelle/). All 44 passengers and 6 crew died. It "remains the deadliest aviation accident in Somalia". President [Siad Barre](/en/people/siad-barre/) attended a mass funeral and ordered a commission of inquiry two days later ([Wikipedia, *Somali Airlines Flight 40*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Airlines_Flight_40); UPI, 20 July 1981). The Aviation Safety Network says the plane entered a spiral dive in heavy rain after strong gusts and lost its right wing. In 2021 [Hiiraan Online](/en/economy/somali-media-companies/) questioned that account, noting Mogadishu rarely has thunderstorms in July ([Hiiraan Online, 20 July 2021](https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2021/July/183286/today_in_history_july_20_1981_somali_airlines_flight_hh40_crashes_after_takeoff_from_mogadishu_kills_all_50_onboard.aspx)). ## 2007: two Il-76 cargo planes - **9 March 2007.** An Il-76 bringing Ugandan peacekeepers and equipment was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade on approach to Mogadishu and caught fire. It landed safely and all on board were unharmed. Islamist militia claimed the attack; Somali officials said it was a technical failure. - **23 March 2007.** A second TransAVIAexport Il-76 crashed on the outskirts of Mogadishu after take-off, during the fighting in the city, killing all 11 Belarusian crew. It was carrying equipment to repair the first plane. The BBC reported it had been shot down. Both from [Wikipedia, *2007 TransAVIAexport Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 crash*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_TransAVIAexport_Airlines_Ilyushin_Il-76_crash). ## 2013: Ethiopian Air Force An-12 On 9 August 2013 an Ethiopian Air Force An-12 from Dire [Dawa](/en/regions/dawa-river/), carrying weapons and ammunition, crashed beside the runway at Mogadishu. Four of the six crew died and two were rescued by African Union ([AMISOM](/en/institutions/amisom/)) firefighters. A seven-member government committee's preliminary report ruled out foul play (BBC, 9 August 2013; [Wikipedia, *2013 Ethiopian Air Force An-12 crash*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Ethiopian_Air_Force_An-12_crash)). ## 2016: Daallo Airlines Flight 159 On 2 February 2016, about 20 minutes after take-off from Mogadishu for Djibouti, a bomb exploded on board and tore a hole in the fuselage. The plane returned and landed. The bomber was the only person killed; his body fell near Balcad. There were 74 passengers and 7 crew. [Al-Shabaab](/en/history/al-shabaab/) claimed responsibility, and ten people were later convicted in connection with the plot (BBC, February 2016; [Wikipedia, *Daallo Airlines Flight 159*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daallo_Airlines_Flight_159)). See [al-Shabaab](/en/society/al-shabaab/). ## 2020: Bardaale and Beledweyne - **Bardaale, 4 May 2020.** An [African Express Airways](/en/economy/airlines-in-somalia/) Embraer carrying COVID-19 medical supplies and mosquito nets from Baidoa was brought down on approach to Bardaale. All six on board died (Reuters, 5 May 2020). An AMISOM report presented on 9 May said Ethiopian troops at Bardaale had shot it down by mistake, thinking it might be on a suicide mission ([Wikipedia, *2020 African Express Airways Embraer EMB 120 crash*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_African_Express_Airways_Embraer_EMB_120_crash); [New York Times, 10 May 2020](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/10/world/africa/coronavirus-aid-plane-crash-somalia.html)). See [COVID-19 in Somalia](/en/society/covid-19-in-somalia/). - **Beledweyne, 14 July 2020.** A Bluebird Aviation Dash 8 cargo plane carrying supplies for AMISOM crashed on landing and burned. The two pilots and an engineer survived. Kenyan press reported that the crew tried to avoid a donkey on the runway ([Kenyans.co.ke, July 2020](https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/55306-donkey-blamed-crash-kenyan-plane-somalia); Hiiraan Online). ## 2024 to 2026 - **Ceel Barde, 18 January 2024.** A Jetways Airlines Fokker 50 (5Y-JWG) carrying World Food Programme cargo "veered off the runway" on landing. The UN mission (UNSOM) confirmed "one fatality and two injuries"; the pilot died (Garowe Online, 20 January 2024). - **Near Mogadishu, 22 March 2025.** A Trident Aviation DHC-5D Buffalo (5Y-RBA) flying from Dhobley to Mogadishu crashed about 24 km south-west of the capital. The [Somali Civil Aviation Authority](/en/institutions/ministry-of-transport-and-civil-aviation/) said: "All five people on board lost their lives" (Kenyans.co.ke, 23 March 2025). - **Mogadishu, 10 February 2026.** A StarSky Aviation Fokker 50 bound for [Gaalkacyo](/en/regions/mudug/) developed a fault after take-off, returned, overran the runway and stopped in shallow water. All 50 passengers and 5 crew survived (The Citizen, February 2026). ## Sources - UPI (1981). [Somalia Airlines crash kills 49](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/20/Somalia-Airlines-crash-kills-49/6557364449600/), 20 July 1981. - Hiiraan Online (2021). [Today in history: Somali Airlines flight HH40](https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2021/July/183286/today_in_history_july_20_1981_somali_airlines_flight_hh40_crashes_after_takeoff_from_mogadishu_kills_all_50_onboard.aspx), 20 July 2021. - BBC (2013). [Ethiopian military plane crashes in Mogadishu](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-23628549), 9 August 2013. - BBC (2016). [Daallo Airlines blast](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35513348), February 2016. - Reuters (2020). [Plane carrying aid crashes in Somalia](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-crash-idUSKBN22G27T), 5 May 2020. - New York Times (2020). [Coronavirus aid plane crash, Somalia](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/10/world/africa/coronavirus-aid-plane-crash-somalia.html), 10 May 2020. - Hiiraan Online (2020). [Bluebird Aviation plane goes down at Beledweyne airport](https://hiiraan.com/news4/2020/July/179089/bluebird_aviation_plane_goes_down_at_beledweyne_airport.aspx). - Kenyans.co.ke (2020). [Donkey blamed for crash of Kenyan plane in Somalia](https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/55306-donkey-blamed-crash-kenyan-plane-somalia). - Garowe Online (2024). [Pilot killed after Jetways Airlines Fokker 50 crashed on landing](https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/pilot-killed-after-jetways-airlines-fokker-50-crashed-on-landing-at-airstrip-in-somalia), 20 January 2024. - Kenyans.co.ke (2025). [Somalia confirms Kenyan plane crash that killed 5 near Mogadishu](https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/110236-somalia-confirms-kenyan-plane-crash-killed-5-near-mogadishu), 23 March 2025. - The Citizen (2026). [Passengers recount horror of Somalia plane crash into Indian Ocean](https://thecitizen.co.tz/africa/news/passengers-recount-horror-of-somalia-plane-crash-into-indian-ocean-5355292). - Wikipedia articles on [Flight 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Airlines_Flight_40), [the 2007 Il-76 crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_TransAVIAexport_Airlines_Ilyushin_Il-76_crash), [the 2013 An-12 crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Ethiopian_Air_Force_An-12_crash), [Daallo Flight 159](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daallo_Airlines_Flight_159) and [the 2020 Embraer crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_African_Express_Airways_Embraer_EMB_120_crash). --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.