Bluebird Aviation Dash 8 Catches Fire Following Somalia Crash
- byEmily Derrick
- July 14, 2020
A de Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 PF plane owned by Bluebird Aviation has crash-landed today in Beletwein, Somalia. The Kenyan plane was operating a cargo flight from Djibouti to Beledweyne Airport when it crashed and caught fire. The aircraft was carrying humanitarian aid and food supplies. Only three crew members were on board at the time, and all managed to escape the fiery wreck without sustaining serious injury.
The crash
The Dash 8 cargo aircraft hit several small mounds of earth next to the runway, which was being used for maintenance. Sources are reporting that the crash was caused by a donkey. The animal was spotted on the runwaybefore the plane touched down and the pilot swerved to avoid hitting the animal.
Local media are reporting BlueBird Aviation’s general Manager, Captain Hussein Mohamed, as saying,
“The plane was from Djibouti earlier this morning, and upon landing a donkey crossed the runway, they hit the donkey and swerved off to a trench on the side of the runway, but the crew are perfectly okay.”
Although the plane burst into flames upon impact, all three crew members escaped with minor injuries. The crew members were taken to the local field hospital as a precaution. Mohamed also confirmed that a UN helicopter was already on the way to fly to crew members back to the Somalian capital of Mogadishu. According to Aviation-safety.net, the plane has been so severely damaged by the crash that it is beyond repair.
source – simpleflying.com