Pilot praised after landing faulty Somali passenger plane on seashore
BBC World
February 10, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
A Somali pilot has been widely praised for his quick thinking after successfully crash-landing a faulty passenger plane in shallow water near Mogadishu's international airport. All 55 people on board, including 50 passengers and five crew members, survived the incident, which occurred when the Fokker 50 aircraft encountered a technical issue shortly after takeoff. The pilot requested permission to return to Mogadishu but overshot the runway during landing, coming to rest in shallow water.
The plane, operated by Starsky Aviation, had departed from Mogadishu bound for Puntland before the crew reported the technical problem.
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Originally published on BBC World on 2/10/2026