On March 9, 2007, a Transaviaexport Ilyushin Il-76TD aircraft, registration EW-78826, hired by the Algerian government, was expected by UGABAG1.
On board were at least two infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2s to be exact). This was very precious cargo given that troop movement was heavily constrained by enemy sniper fire.
With such equipment, soldiers would be better protected and more mobile. The BMP-2’s 30mm autocannon, anti-tank missile-firing and night vision/infrared targeting capabilities also introduced greater firepower. It would give the Ugandan forces an edge as they sought to dominate the battlefield.
But as the aircraft, which was also loaded with bombs, came in to land at the airport, suspected anti-aircraft fire from below struck the jet.
Crippled, the jet still made a successful, if nerve-wracking, emergency landing. A blazing fire was raging from its fuselage as it came to a stop. The crew of nine Belarusians and six UPDF soldiers scrambled out unharmed.
Soldiers flee burning plane
There was a very real risk of the entire airport going up in flames if the bombs onboard the plane exploded. If that happened, the loss of the two battle wagons would be very bad for morale and quite detrimental to the mission.
There were only a handful of infantry fighting vehicles in camp as the mission force, which had been here for two days, still awaited the ship on the Indian Ocean that was carrying the contingent’s total haul of the weapons.
Therefore, the two armoured cars were prized additions to the thin fleet of light armour. Each of the two fighting vehicles was loaded with what are known as ‘First Line of Armour’ ordinance [bullets used until reinforcement is brought].
The crew and UPDF soldiers who were onboard had fled the burning aircraft upon landing. Even the Somali government soldiers, who were on guard at the airport, also took off.
The only fire extinguisher at the airport was faulty. Things were getting very desperate with each passing second. Col Charles Byanyima, who was then a major commanding the motorised infantry unit, resorted to desperate measures.
For an officer who is now enjoying the relative serenity of the army’s Nakasongola light weapons production, storage and repair facility, it was a death race against time. With five soldiers beside him, Col Byanyima started to put out the fire using sand they scooped into their shirts with their bare hands.
“I removed my shirt and told the other soldiers to also remove theirs to scoop the sand near the runaway. We were also fetching water using basins and buckets to help the situation,” Col Byanyima says.
Black smoke billowed out and covered the skies as the fire intensified and leaked its way inside the plane. The colonel and three other soldiers, including Capt David Wamboya, decided to enter the plane carrying sand and water in buckets to extinguish the fire.
Four members of the emergency team; WOI Nixon Bisimu, WOII Clovis Turinawe, Lance Corporal George Opira and Brig Kyazze joined them later.
“When we entered, it was very dark and choking. We started pouring water and sprinkling sand inside as soldiers outside were bringing more [water and sand],” he says.
After 30 minutes inside, they were able to see through the smoke up to where the bombs and BMPs were stacked. One of the fighting wagons had caught fire and looked in danger of being damaged. After five hours, the hands-on effort was able to completely extinguish the flames.
“It (the aircraft) landed at 9am and we were able put out the fire by about 2pm,” the colonel remembers.
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