MOGADISHU, Somalia (2016) – A bizarre and terrifying incident unfolded aboard Daallo Airlines Flight 159 when a suicide bomber smuggled explosives onto the aircraft, intending to bring down the plane. Instead, the blast tore open the fuselage mid-flight and instantly ejected the attacker into the sky, making him the only fatality.
The Explosion
On February 2, 2016, an Airbus A321 operated by Daallo Airlines departed Mogadishu en route to Djibouti. Just 20 minutes into the flight, as the aircraft reached around 14,000 feet, an explosive device hidden inside a laptop detonated near an emergency exit.
The blast ripped a gaping hole in the side of the plane. The sudden decompression violently sucked the bomber through the opening and out into the atmosphere. His body was later discovered on the ground not far from Mogadishu. Two other passengers sustained minor injuries.
Pilot’s Heroic Response
Despite the significant damage, the pilots kept their composure and managed to bring the aircraft back safely to Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu. Their quick thinking and skill averted what could have been a mass-casualty disaster.
Terror Group Claims Responsibility
Investigators later revealed surveillance footage showing the bomber receiving the rigged laptop at the airport before boarding. The al-Qaeda–linked militant group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was part of their campaign targeting international aviation.
A Chilling Reminder
Although only the attacker perished, the attempted bombing sent shockwaves through the global aviation community. It exposed vulnerabilities in airport security and underscored the continuing threat of improvised explosives hidden in everyday objects.
The Daallo Airlines incident remains one of the strangest cases in aviation history—where the sole casualty was the terrorist himself, saved from taking others with him by the quick action of the crew.