Pilot Hailed After Somali Plane Crash-Lands on Shore, 55 Survive
Feb 11, 2026: A domestic airline in Somalia has commended one of its pilots after a passenger aircraft made an emergency landing on the shoreline near Mogadishu’s international airport, with all 55 people on board escaping without serious injury.
The aircraft, a Fokker 50 operated by Starsky Aviation, encountered a technical malfunction shortly after departing Mogadishu on Tuesday morning, according to Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The flight was carrying 50 passengers and five crew members.
After detecting the problem, the crew requested permission to return to the airport. Although the aircraft managed to touch down on the runway, it was unable to come to a complete stop, overshooting the tarmac and eventually halting in shallow waters along the Indian Ocean, said CAA Director Ahmed Macalin Hassan.
The exact nature of the mechanical issue has not yet been confirmed, and aviation authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause.
Videos shared on social media showed passengers calmly exiting the aircraft and walking away along the shoreline. Officials said no serious injuries were reported.
The African Union mission in Somalia stated that AU and UN personnel were quickly deployed to assist in rescue operations, while Somalia’s transport minister also visited the site shortly after the incident.
In a statement, Starsky Aviation spokesperson Hassan Mohamed Aden said the airline was relieved that everyone on board was safe.
“The pilot’s swift and composed decision-making was critical in ensuring the safety of passengers and crew,” he said, adding that the airline has begun cooperating fully with investigators to establish what led to the emergency landing.
