Fri, Apr 06, 2007
Nothing Under 20,000 Feet Over Somalia
The FAA has announced a ban on US air carriers and commercial
operators from flying at altitudes below 20,000 feet over
Somalia.
The FAA was forced to make this prohibition after two crashes in
the country in recent weeks, one non-fatal and one fatal. The
non-fatal crash occurred on March 9 and involved an Ilyushin Il-76
that exploded after it caught fire "just above the landing gear"
while on final approach to Mogadishu while supporting Ugandan
peacekeeping forces in Somalia, according to the agency.
This raised concerns over rocket propelled grenades, or RPGs,
and shoulder-launched missiles, also known as 'MANPADS' or
man-portable air defense systems, according to industry
sources.
"There is evidence to support the possibility that the aircraft
may have been struck by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) while
2.5-3km off the coast of Somalia at approximately 120m in
altitude," the agency writes. Though heavily damaged, the Il-76 was
able to successfully land at the airport.
The fatal incident involved a second Il-76 (type shown above)
that had flown into Mogadishu with parts and personnel to fix the
first aircraft. As Aero-News reported, that
plane was shot down during departure on March 23, killing all on
board.
"There is a possibility the Il-76 was downed by a manpads
missile or RPG," the FAA writes. "These incidents occurred days
after unknown individuals mortared the airport at Mogadishu,
causing minimal damage."
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