A 70‑year‑old passenger has described the horror and panic on board the Starsky Aviation Fokker 50 that crash‑landed in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, after sustaining a technical fault shortly after takeoff. The aircraft, carrying 55 people, was forced to return to Aden Adde International Airport but skidded off the runway, smashing one of its wings against a hillock before coming to a dramatic stop in knee‑deep water along the seashore.
Passenger Mohamed Hussein Odowa recalled that the crew urged everyone to stay calm and keep their seatbelts fastened as the engines sputtered. Terrified passengers began reading the Quran, fearing the worst. “It landed, hitting the runway but sped madly and we understood the pilot was unable to stop the plane, no brake control,” Odowa said. He added that once the plane came to rest in the shallow water, the pilot shouted for everyone to get out quickly. “I was among the oldest passengers but all of a sudden I was outside with my bag, thank God,” he recounted.
Pictures shared on social media showed passengers wading through the water after evacuating the aircraft. The Somali Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that all crew and passengers survived and were taken to hospital for medical evaluation. The pilot has been praised for his quick thinking and calmness under pressure, which likely prevented a tragedy.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation, but the dramatic landing has drawn attention to Somalia’s aviation safety challenges. For those on board, the ordeal was a terrifying reminder of the risks of air travel in a country where infrastructure and oversight remain fragile.
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