Everyone on Flight Survives Fiery Plane Crash in Somalia
Gif: Voice of America / AP
There are usually casualties when a commercial aircraft crashes while attempting a landing, especially if the plane rolls over and bursts into flames. No one would ever expect the count of people injured or killed to be zero. Well, that was the case when a turboprop-powered passenger plane crashed in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, on Monday morning.
Photo: Maj. Cain Claxton/U.S. Army (AP)
The Fokker 50 operated by Jubba Airways, a domestic Somali carrier, was attempting to land at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu when it crashed. Based on footage and photos from people at the scene, it seems like an engine came off the Fokker at some point during the landing. The aircraft then rolled, crashed and came to a rest upside down beside the runway. It is a shocking sight to see flames and smoke come from the separated engine, wings and the rest of the fuselage as firefighters try to extinguish the blaze.
Plane Crashes Causing Blaze in Somalia, All 36 Passengers Survive
The exact sequence of events will likely become known once the Somali Civil Aviation Authority completes its investigation of the crash. The country’s civil aviation regulator also confirmed in a press release that all 36 passengers and crew members aboard the Fokker 50 survived the crash. Jubba Airways also put out a release confirming the incredible fact, stating, “All passengers and crew on board have safely been evacuated with nil casualties.”
The Fokker 50 can carry around a maximum of 50 passengers in the configurations used by most airlines that operate the turboprop aircraft. Fokker built 213 50s during its production run from 1985 until 1997. Five Fokker 50s have been involved in fatal accidents, including a crash after take-off during a cargo flight between Nairobi, Kenya and Mogadishu in 2014. It’s safe to say that everyone is pleased no one was harmed in this more recent incident.
