Passengers Walk Away After Plane Ends Up in Ocean

Passengers aboard a Somali flight ended up in the Indian Ocean—and walked away. A Starsky Airlines Fokker 50 with 50 passengers and five crew reported a technical problem shortly after taking off from Mogadishu on Tuesday and turned back to the capital's airport, according to Somalia's Civil Aviation Authority. The plane landed but couldn't stop, overshooting the runway and coming to rest in shallow water along the shoreline near the airport, the BBC reports. Photos posted on X showed passengers climbing out and walking away from the wreckage; officials say there were no fatalities or serious injuries

The African Union mission said United Nations and AU troops were quickly sent to assist with rescue efforts, and Somalia's transport minister visited the scene. Starsky Airlines said it is relieved all on board are safe and it is investigating the issue that led to the emergency landing. "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," airline spokesman Hassan Mohamed Aden said. FlightGlobal reports that the aircraft, built in 1990 and acquired by Starsky in 2023, suffered serious damage including a fractured right wing.