Somalia’s Starsky Airlines F50 Overruns Runway
Starsky Airlines has been left without an in-house aircraft after its sole Fokker 50 overran the runway while landing in Mogadishu on February 10. All 55 passengers and crew members on board survived the accident, which ended with the aircraft partially submerged in shallow seawater. Online videos showed the turboprop resting off the runway with visible wing damage following the excursion.
In a statement, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the aircraft involved was Fokker 50 registration 60-YAS (msn 20177). The 36-year-old turboprop had a long operational history before joining Starsky Airlines. Fleet records indicate it was previously operated by Kenya-based Renegade Air and Skyward Express, as well as Travel Air and VLM Airlines after its original delivery to Aer Lingus Commuter in 1990.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority said the aircraft had departed Mogadishu but returned shortly after takeoff when the crew reported a technical issue. During the attempted landing, the aircraft overshot the runway. Ahmed Hassan, director-general of the authority, told the BBC that all occupants were safely evacuated and transported to a nearby hospital for precautionary checks. No fatalities were reported.
The incident leaves Starsky Airlines without a company-owned aircraft. In addition to the F50, the carrier wet-leases an Embraer EMB-120RT(F), registration 7Q-YES (msn 120110), from Malawi-based Flytech. The freighter is ultimately leased from Arctic One, according to fleet data sources. However, the aircraft could not be tracked via ADS-B data at the time of reporting, raising questions about its operational status.
The runway overrun in Mogadishu highlights ongoing safety and infrastructure challenges facing regional airlines in East Africa. Authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine the cause of the technical issue reported by the crew and the factors that led to the runway excursion. The findings are expected to provide further clarity on the sequence of events and any potential operational or mechanical failures involved in the incident.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com