Somali Airlines Flight 40
6O-SAY, the aircraft involved in the accident, photographed in 1977 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 20 July 1981 |
| Summary | Crashed shortly after takeoff |
| Site | near Balad, Somalia 2°21′18.0″N 45°23′34.8″E / 2.355000°N 45.393000°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Fokker F27-600 Friendship |
| Operator | Somali Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | HH40 |
| Registration | 6O-SAY |
| Flight origin | Mogadishu International Airport, Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Destination | Hargeisa International Airport, Hargeisa, Somalia |
| Occupants | 50 |
| Passengers | 44 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 50 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On 20 July 1981, Somali Airlines Flight 40, a Fokker F27 operating a daily scheduled domestic passenger flight from Mogadishu International Airport to Hargeisa Airport, Somalia, crashed near the town of Balad a few minutes after takeoff killing all 44 passengers and 6 crew members on board. With 50 fatalities, it remains the deadliest aviation accident in Somalia.
The flight had initially returned to Mogadishu for repairs due to an unspecified malfunction before departing again and subsequently crashing. A mass funeral attended by Somali President Siad Barre was held in Mogadishu. Two days after the accident, Barre ordered the creation of a commission of inquiry.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, the aircraft entered a spiral dive in an area of heavy rainfall after encountering strong vertical gusts leading to the separation of its right wing. However in 2021, Hiiraan Online contested this account, stating that besides light showers, Mogadishu rarely experiences thunderstorms in July.