All survive Starsky Airline crash at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde Airport after takeoff
MOGADISHU, Somalia — A passenger aircraft operated by Starsky Airline crashed Tuesday at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport shortly after takeoff, but all passengers and crew survived, Somali aviation officials said.
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The Somali Civil Aviation Authority said everyone on board was safely evacuated with no fatalities reported. The plane was en route to Galkayo when it experienced a technical malfunction immediately after departure, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency return to the capital.
“The pilot tried to land the aircraft back in Mogadishu, but after touchdown he was unable to maintain control,” said Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director general of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority. “The aircraft overshot the runway and came close to the shoreline. There were no casualties.”
Initial reports indicated that about 50 passengers were on board. Emergency rescue teams were deployed immediately and evacuated passengers and crew from the aircraft, according to aviation authorities.
An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the crash. Officials provided no immediate timeline for the inquiry.
The incident places fresh scrutiny on aviation safety at Aden Adde Airport, which sits along Mogadishu’s coastline and serves as Somalia’s primary international gateway. In April last year, a United Nations-chartered aircraft made a belly landing at the same airport after its landing gear failed to deploy. No fatalities were reported in that incident.
Starsky Airline did not immediately issue a public statement. Additional details, including the aircraft model and the precise number of passengers and crew, were not immediately confirmed.
What we know
- A Starsky Airline passenger plane crashed shortly after takeoff at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.
- All passengers and crew survived; authorities reported no fatalities.
- The flight was bound for Galkayo when it suffered a technical malfunction and attempted an emergency return.
- After touchdown, the aircraft overshot the runway and came close to the shoreline, officials said.
- Emergency teams evacuated those on board; initial reports put passengers at about 50.
- The Somali Civil Aviation Authority has opened an investigation into the cause.
- The airport saw a similar no-fatality emergency in April last year, when a UN-chartered plane belly-landed following a landing-gear failure.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
