Air Peace on Thursday evening explained why its Port Harcourt to Lagos flight made an emergency landing at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos.

Passengers on the flight were on Thursday evacuated after the airline’s aircraft made an emergency landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

But the Airline said the emergency landing was due to a falsely triggered fire alarm before landing in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr Stanley Olisa.

Olisa who is the airline’s Corporate Communications Lead explained that some minutes before landing, the Captain noticed a fire warning indicator in the cockpit.

Contrary to reports that the aircraft made an emergency landing in Lagos, Olisa said that the captain had performed all safety measures and the fire indicator went off.

“We wish to inform the flying public of an incident that occurred during our Port Harcourt-Lagos flight P47193 of today, April 25.

“Some minutes before landing, our captain noticed a fire warning indicator in the cockpit. The pilots performed all safety precautionary measures and the fire indicator went off.

“The Captain immediately notified our Operations Control Center in Lagos at 5.37 p.m.

“It was determined upon landing that the alarm was falsely triggered as there was no fire event. The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers disembarked normally,” he said.

The airline reassured the flying public that safety remains the utmost priority and is unwavering in it’s commitment to it.

(NAN)

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced an investigation into the runway excursion incident that occurred this morning involving a Dana Airline McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

According to the director-general of NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Junior, the preliminary fact-finding on the incident that occurred at 9 a.m. on Tuesday indicated that Dana Airlines flight 9J0352 (registration number 5N-BKI), carrying 83 passengers and 6 crew members, departed Abuja at 8:20 a.m. local time and arrived in Lagos around 9:20 a.m.

“It had been raining, and the runway 18L surface was wet. The aircraft had a technical problem with its landing gear and experienced directional control problems after landing, which made it veer off the runway to the left and travel onto the grassy area near the Runway 18L link 6 turn-off point.

“Thankfully, there are no reported fatalities or injuries. As a precautionary measure, Runway 18L at MMA was temporarily closed following the incident.

“We have commenced an investigation to determine the full circumstances surrounding the runway excursion event involving the MD-82 aircraft with registration marking 5N-BKI.

“A go-team has been dispatched to the incident scene and has begun inquiries. We will leave no stone unturned in examining all aspects surrounding the incident.

“The investigation team has already retrieved the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, which will be taken to our lab for data download. The transcript from Air Traffic Control and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria will also be included for forensic analysis and further investigation.

“The NSIB team has also measured the aircraft’s veering point from the runway to its final stop on the grass. Crew members have been interviewed and undergone toxicology tests. As of today, all stakeholders involved in the operation of this aircraft, including the manufacturer, are being notified for their comments to be included in our report.

“The NSIB’s investigation of this incident will examine all aspects, including the airworthiness status of the aircraft, operational policies, human factors, weather condition, health and mental status of the crew, aircraft maintenance records, and any previous incidents involving this aircraft’s landing gear system.

“In accordance with international aviation safety protocols, a preliminary report containing a summary of basic fact-finding about the incident will be released within 30 days. A final report with safety recommendations will be issued at the conclusion of the investigation.

“During the course of the investigation, NSIB will collaborate with relevant stakeholders including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, as well as other relevant institutions and specialists to gather all necessary information, data, and evidence concerning the operation of the flight.

“This investigation aims to identify any safety deficiencies and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The objective of this investigation is to arrive at the cause of the incident and the factors that led to it, and to issue safety recommendations to deter recurrence. Protecting lives and maintaining public confidence in air travel is our utmost priority,” the NSIB DG added.

He, however, urged the public to remain patient as the investigation progresses, promising to provide regular updates as new information becomes available.

One of the aircraft in the fleet of Dana Air is reported to have skidded off the runway of the Murtala Muhammed Airport.

The incident, according to the scanty information gathered, had 83 passengers on board when the incident occurred.

Confirming this in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the airline, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa, said there was no casualty as all passengers onboard disembarked safely.

The statement declared: “Dana Air regrets to inform the public of a runway incursion involving one of our aircraft, registration number 5N BKI, which was flying from Abuja to Lagos. today 23/04/24

We are relieved to confirm that all 83 passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely without injuries or scare as the crew handled the situation with utmost professionalism.

“We have also updated the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on the incident and the aircraft involved has been grounded by our maintenance team for further investigation.

“We wish to thank the airport authorities, our crew for their very swift response in ensuring the safe disembarkation of all passengers following the incident and our sincere apologies and appreciation to the passengers on the affected flight for their patience and understanding.”

The airline however reassured all passengers that their safety will always be “our top priority, and we are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.”