A pilot’s swift decision-making turned potential tragedy into a remarkable survival story Tuesday after a passenger plane suffering technical difficulties was successfully crash-landed on a seashore adjacent to Mogadishu’s international airport, with all 55 people onboard escaping without serious injury.
Starsky Aviation, the operator of the Fokker 50 aircraft, has publicly commended the unnamed pilot’s composure during the emergency, stating his actions were “decisive” in saving the 50 passengers and five crew members.
The aircraft had departed from Mogadishu en route to Puntland when the crew reported a technical problem shortly after takeoff, according to Ahmed Macalin Hassan, director of Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The pilots requested an immediate return to the airport.
While the plane successfully touched down on the runway, it was unable to stop, overshooting the tarmac before finally coming to rest in shallow water along the Indian Ocean shoreline.
Video footage circulating on social media showed passengers calmly evacuating the aircraft and walking away from the partially submerged wreckage.
The African Union mission in Somalia reported that United Nations and African Union troops were “swiftly deployed” to assist rescue operations. Somalia’s transport minister also attended the scene.
Investigators are now working to determine the precise technical fault that necessitated the emergency landing.
“We are relieved to confirm that all passengers and crew are safe. Investigations are under way to establish what caused the technical issue that led to the emergency landing,” said Hassan Mohamed Aden, a spokesman for Starsky Aviation.
“The pilot’s swift and calm decision-making played a decisive role in ensuring the safety of everyone on board, and we commend him for how he handled the situation,” Aden added.
Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport sits in close proximity to the coastline, a geographical feature that ultimately provided a viable emergency landing zone when the runway proved insufficient.
No serious injuries have been reported among passengers or crew.
