A WING AND A PRAYER

Passenger Plane Carrying 55 People Crashes on Beach as Wing Snaps Off

Initial reports suggest the plane suffered a technical problem.

A plane carrying 55 passengers has crashed on the shores of Mogadishu, coming to a halt in the surf with a wing snapped off. The StarSky Aviation Fokker 50 was seen in dramatic images on a beach in the Somali capital on Tuesday, its right wing detached and fuselage listing to the left as the Indian Ocean lapped against it. It had taken off from Aden Adde International Airport just minutes before, bound for the Somalian city of Galkayo. It took off as planned, the Daily Express reports, but the crew detected a technical issue shortly after and attempted to return to the runway. The Somali Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the stricken twin-prop aircraft came down in a coastal area just outside the perimeter of the airport, AirLive reports. Speaking to the BBC, StarSky spokesman Hassan Mohamed Aden said, “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. 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.”