Pilot praised after crash-landing faulty Somali passenger plane on seashore

MOGADISHU, Somalia - An airline in Somalia has praised one of its pilots after he crash-landed his passenger plane, which had suffered a technical fault, on the shoreline next to the capital's international airport, with all 55 on board surviving.

Starsky Aviation said the pilot's quick thinking was crucial in saving the 50 passengers and five crew.

The crew of the aircraft, a Fokker 50, reported a problem shortly after take off from Mogadishu on Tuesday morning and requested that the plane return, Somalia's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.

It then touched down but failed to stop on the runway, overshooting the tarmac before coming to rest in shallow water, the CAA's director, Ahmed Moalim Hassan, said.

It is not clear yet exactly what the issue was.

Footage posted on X appeared to show passengers leaving the aircraft and walking away from the wreckage on the shore of the Indian Ocean. No serious injuries have been reported.

The African Union's mission in Somalia said UN and AU troops were "swiftly deployed" to help with rescue efforts. Somalia's transport minister was also at the scene, its post on X added.

"We are relieved to confirm that all passengers and crew are safe. Investigations are underway to establish what caused the technical issue that led to the emergency landing," Starsky spokesman Hassan Mohamed Aden said.

"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," he added.