► COMOROS: Inter Îles Air Embraer 120 ditches into Indian Ocean shortly after take off; no casualties.

Comorien radio is reporting the ditching of a local Inter Îles Air (ZXA) Embraer 120ER (MSN: 120-149 | D6-HUA) off the coast of Hahaya, Grande Comore this afternoon Tuesday, November 27, 2012. Reports state that all on board survived.

The Comores

Freedom Radio announced that the Embraer executed an emergency landing into the sea opposite the village of Domoiboini at 13h21L, shortly after takeoff from Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport in Hahaya Grande Comore, the main island of the archipelago of the Comoros, en-route to Ouani Anjouan.

Nationality of crew: 1 South African, 1 Kenyan, 1 Slovenian, 1 Comoran.
-Nationality of passengers: 3 French and 22 Comorans.
Source [ANACM]

According to the Aviation Herald, the "crew requested an emergency return to Moroni, but during the turn lost height and needed to ditch in the Ocean. The aircraft had been completely overhauled and refurbished in Europe, the last inspection by the French DGAC was done a week before the accident."

Comorien national radio reported that all are said to be alive with relief operations ongoing.

"Ambulances arrived from all over Grande Comore, people are in shock," said a witness speaking to Freedom Moroni radio an hour after the crash. Another stated that the airplane had failed to takeoff and was forced to ditch having attempted to return and land on the airport tarmac." 

Source [Orange.fr]

Inter Îles Air Embraer 120 D6-HUA

Based in Mutsamudu, the main town of Anjouan, Inter Îles Air is a private Comorien airline with a fleet of four aircraft (two Cessna 404, a Cessna 207 and an Embraer 120), and operates flights to all islands in the Comoros (Grande Comore, Anjouan, Moheli).