A THY Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration TC-JFL performing flight TK-3986 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Mogadishu (Somalia), was landing in Somalia when the crew noticed a dog on the runway and steered the airplane to the right edge of the runway to avoid the dog, however, a wing struck vegetation near the runway and received multiple dents to the leading edge of the wing about 2-3 meters from the wing tip as well as damage to the wing tip/winglet. The aircraft slowed without further incident and taxied to the apron.
The airplane, which was carrying Turkey's Prime Minister, was taken out of service. A replacement Airbus A340-300 registration TC-JII has been dispatched to Mogadishu as flight TK-3996.
How close is the "vegetation" to the edge of the runway!? If the damage was 2-3 metres in from the wingtip and assuming the gear stayed on the hard stuff that would put it (veg) right on the edge of the runway..... Which would cause a 340 problems without any deviation.
I've not been to Mogadishu but a Bit more to this than as reported perhaps?
The airplane, which was carrying Turkey's Prime Minister, was taken out of service. A replacement Airbus A340-300 registration TC-JII has been dispatched to Mogadishu as flight TK-3996.
The plane was not carrying the Turkish PM, only his delegates, he travels on a private jet.
What is it with people avoiding dogs on runways ? Unless it was a St Bernard or a Great Dane I would have thought a Mogadishu mongrel was no match for a 737 . Even if it damaged a tire that has to be cheaper than stuffing the wing up ( what will that cost ? ) or scraping the tail as one of our local heroes managed to do ! Bit like the missus wrapping the motor round the old oak tree because a fluffy bunny popped out !
By the looks of the video it almost seems as though there was a crosswind correction but when they leveled wings for the flair the wind drifted them right thus causing the impulse to drop the left aileron (scraping the runway) and the right wing being over the other side of the runway causing tree damage.
Seems to be a reasonable amount of manouvering just prior to touch down. Also it's not totally clear but it looks like the runway "piano keys" flash past just prior to touch down. Was this a short landing? May explain why the vegetation is so tall and close to the edge at the start of the runway but not further along it where landing run would "normally" commence?
Speculation on my part I admit but I'm amazed that such an "obstacle" can be struck. How long is Mogadishu? Can't be that limiting if it can take a 340 high temps frequent?
Also it's not totally clear but it looks like the runway "piano keys" flash past just prior to touch down. Was this a short landing? May explain why the vegetation is so tall and close to the edge at the start of the runway but not further along it where landing run would "normally" commence?
You would think that they also line up there. Maybe the heavies having a higher wing and the 737's etc won't reach it normally, but I still think they need a gardner!
It is amazing how humans are unable to learn from even the nastiest of mistakes.
The circumstances of this incident smells of a PAF 101 remake, albeit luckier ending. Mogadishu airport is just on the edge of government "controlled" territory, it is no-mans land from there practically to the Kenyan border. It is a bare strip of concrete with no facilities whatsoever, with snipers on occasion having a go at approaching aircraft just for the fun of it. It is a field even experienced african bush pilots prefer to avoid if possible, and that's saying a lot. Flying a civilian airliner in there borders on the reckless if not beyond, I'm sure there were plenty of objectors on the meeting called to arrange this flight, but in the finest fashion political needs overrode sensibility and rationale. The Turkish PM wanted to go there, to show how much he cares. Fine, politicians do that all the time. But probably there was noone in the THY organisation to have the guts and say that not on any of our aircraft (or perhaps there were, and now are out of a job...) (yes, I do know the aircraft in question did not carry the PM, only the entourage, that does not invalidate the point).
Mind you, I have nothing against the Turkish PM, he was probably not involved in the actual decision. It was the assorted underlings, with a real or perceived pressure from the top that it must be done.
I say " Take the dog out ".....Landing gear will more than handle an impact of a Labrador sized mutt, and an " African dog " even if it did get to that size, would only weigh have as much as a fat western one. I took one out in Libreville at dawn one morning at VR, he touched the prop on his way through to the left main gear ( Beech 1900 ) and then proceeded to spread himself along 200m of the concrete aswell as my wheelwell....Blood/bone/fur/guts everywhere......No damage whatsoever but very lucky HYD lines were not touched as we rotated ........Faaaark !
The Turks have a military, surely they have something like a C130 they could have spared rather than sending a civilian 737 into a place like Mogadishu.
High speed tape and fly it out of there would be nice, but from those dings it looks like a slightly bigger fix, feel very sorry for the guys who have to go in there and fix the thing.
I once hit a dog going 120 kts in a B737 on the left main gear. No damage whatsoever. This happened in Istanbul. So I would assume they have experience with this in THY
MG will probably hold, but a NG won't. Even a bird strike can give it a lot of trouble (KL734 at BCN). You also don't want a dog in your engine, especially not at Mogadishu. Very unfortunate outcome!
Nose gear should do just fine. Friend hit a deer with 727 nose gear. Hit it right at rotation and weren't sure if they'd hit it. Retracted gear and flew to destination. Found parts in wheelwell after landing.
Looks like a flaps 40 bounce followed by an abrupt roll. 737 with flaps 40 has known control sensitivity. It's been known to rear it's ugly head when people get startled or have to make last second corrections. FDR will show if control inputs at touchdown, or during the bounce, were at the heart of what happened.
