– As NCAA, AON Decry Media Sensationalism
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) said it has commenced investigation into the Max Air aircraft serious incident, which occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja on Sunday.
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This is as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have decried the media sensationalism, which trailed the serious incident at Abuja, saying that the aircraft did not crash land as reported in some media.
Crash landing is a landing where the aircraft receives significant structural damage due to a hard landing or a runway veer-off. Not all emergency landings are classified as crash landings.
A statement by Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, the General Manager, Public Affairs, NSIB said that the aircraft, Boeing 737-400 with the flight number: NGL1649 and registration number: 5N-MBD departed Yola Airport for Abuja with 144 passengers and six flight crew on board.
During landing at Abuja airport the aircraft lost some tyres, the flight crew brought the aircraft to a safe stop on Runway 22 at 14:57 local time.
Oketunbi confirmed that the bureau has been notified of the serious incident and commenced investigation immediately.
According to NSIB, the aircraft had burst tyre on landing on the runway at Abuja airport.
It said that first responders arrived at the accident site and evacuated the passengers, adding that there was no injury or fatality.
He bureau solicited information from the public in form of pictures, video or recording evidences to help assist in conducting a comprehensive investigation.
Also, NCAA lamented the media sensationalism, which followed the serious incident.
A statement signed by Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), said its inspectors had begun investigation into the incident.
Nuhu, however, lamented sensational media reports of the incident, classifying it as a crash landing, thereby creating panic and concerns among the traveling public.
He appealed to the media to seek clarifications and or information when in doubt of any report.
He assured that NCAA and other aviation agencies would spare no efforts to ensure the continued safe flight operations in Nigeria.
Nuhu assured that it would conduct a thorough investigation of the serious incident to determine the root cause and make appropriate recommendations to prevent any recurrence of such incident.
According to him, during the period of the incident, a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to airlines and other concerned stakeholders.
Nuhu confirmed that several flights both domestic and international flights were stranded at Abuja airport, while incoming flights diverted to other airports as a result of the incident.
He said that the damaged wheels of the aircraft had been replaced and the aircraft taxied on its power from the runway to an assigned parking position.
He said: “All relevant agencies including NCAA, NAMA, NSIB and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) swung into action collaboratively to ensure the prompt removal of the disabled aircraft from the runway and reopening of the airport for flight operations.
“The runway was inspected and swept for damage and debris by officials of NCAA, FAAN and NAMA, after which the runway was declared safe. Subsequently, the airport was reopened for resumption of flight operations after 8pm.”
Besides, AON bemoaned the sensational reporting of the incident, saying it created unnecessary fears in the minds of the flying public.
A statement issued by Mr. Allen Onyema, the Vice President, AON, the association said that such incident could happen to any airline.
AON insisted Max Air was one of the safest airlines in the world and should not be ridiculed because of this incident.
He said: “We, in AON, decry the penchant for sensational reporting anytime such incident occurs. Tyre bursts occur now and then in the industry and have nothing to do with the airline’s safety standards.
“Such reports only tend to create unnecessary fears in the minds of the unsuspecting flying public and, as such, counter-productive.
“All Nigerian airlines are under a very strict oversight by NCAA, hence no room for unsafe practices by any Nigerian airline. This tyre burst incident does not and, will never, detract from Max Air’s well-known safety standards.”
