A Fokker 50 operated by Starsky Aviation was badly damaged on February 10, 2026, after overrunning the runway at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu and coming to rest on a beach adjacent to the airfield, Somali aviation authorities said.
Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that all occupants survived the incident. The regulator said 55 people were on board at the time, but did not give details of the nature of any injuries. Officials said emergency services responded and the aircraft was evacuated. Images circulating on social media showed the turboprop resting on sand beyond the runway with visible structural damage.
According to officials, the aircraft encountered a problem during the flight and attempted to land back at Mogadishu. During the landing roll, it overran the end of the runway and exited the paved surface. Photographs from the scene suggest substantial damage to at least one wing and the landing gear.
Starsky Aviation has not yet released a detailed statement on the event. The Somali Civil Aviation Authority said an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the overrun, including aircraft performance, runway conditions, and operational factors. Mogadishu’s main airport is bordered by the Indian Ocean, leaving little margin for error in the event of a runway excursion.
Starsky Aviation is a Somali charter and regional operator that flies passenger and cargo missions within Somalia and to neighboring parts of East Africa. The airline operates turboprop aircraft, including the Fokker 50, on domestic routes and ad-hoc charter flights, often into airports with limited infrastructure. Like other local carriers, Starsky plays a role in connecting communities and moving people and goods in areas where overland travel can be slow, difficult, or unsafe.
The incident adds to a series of recent turboprop accidents in Somalia involving the Fokker 50 type. In July 2022, a Jubba Airways Fokker 50 flipped over after crashing on landing at Mogadishu, with all passengers and crew escaping safely. In January 2024, a Jetways Airlines Fokker 50 operating a UN-contracted cargo flight veered off the runway while landing at a remote airstrip, killing the pilot and injuring two others.
The Fokker 50 is a high-wing, twin-engine turboprop developed in the 1980s as a modernization of the Fokker F27 Friendship. Designed for short-haul regional routes, the aircraft is known for good short field performance and rugged construction, characteristics that have kept it flying in challenging environments long after production ended in the mid-1990s. Many airframes in service today are more than 30 years old and are operated by smaller carriers, cargo firms, or humanitarian contractors in regions with limited infrastructure.
While the type has a generally solid safety record, its continued use in austere operating conditions places added emphasis on maintenance, crew training, and runway suitability.
