All 55 people aboard a domestic flight in Somalia survived after the aircraft made an emergency return and overshot the runway, coming to rest near the shoreline of the Indian Ocean.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, February 10, shortly after the plane departed Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu en route to Gaalkacyo.
The aircraft, a Fokker 50 operated by Starsky Aviation, reportedly developed a mechanical fault roughly 15 minutes after takeoff.
The pilot turned the aircraft back toward Mogadishu and attempted an emergency landing. However, upon touchdown, the plane was unable to stop in time, ran beyond the runway and veered toward the coast, ending up in shallow waters close to the beach.
According to officials, all 50 passengers and five crew members were safely evacuated. Somalia’s Minister of Transport, Mohamed Farah Nuh, confirmed that every occupant was accounted for by emergency responders.
Images circulating online showed the aircraft resting near the water with visible structural damage, including what appeared to be a broken wing, though the fuselage remained largely intact.
Starsky Aviation’s Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Nur, said the aircraft “overran the runway” before stopping near the ocean, stressing that there were no casualties.
In a statement, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority identified the aircraft as registration number 60-YAS and confirmed the runway overrun at approximately 1:17 p.m. local time.
The authority added that all passengers and crew were transported to a nearby hospital for precautionary medical checks.
No injuries or fatalities were reported. Investigations into the cause of the technical issue and runway overrun are expected to continue.
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