An Arik Air aircraft lost one of its two engines mid-air with over 100 passengers on board at the weekend.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 with the registration number 5N-MJD, departed Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, for Jos when the pilot discovered that the plane had lost one of its engines during the flight.
It was gathered that when the pilot discovered the problem, he contacted the Lagos control tower, which granted him emergency landing status.
The aircraft also could not taxi out of the runway until Airport Rescue and Fire-Fighting Services (ARFFS), tow the aircraft to the hajj and cargo terminal where the passengers finally disembarked.
“The incident occurred at noon on Friday. The aircraft had departed Lagos for Jos, but barely a few minutes into the journey, the pilot radioed the Lagos control tower that it needed to return to base,” a source told SaharaReporters.
“When the control tower heard this, they approved the pilot for emergency landing, which he did successfully. The aircraft had to be towed out of the runway by the ARFFS because it could not move again.”
An Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was yet to report the incident to the bureau for further investigation.
“There had been complaints that the NCAA does not notify us at times when there is an incident. It is by law that we should be notified in case of any incident. The AIB Commissioner is empowered by law to investigate any occurrence in the sector,” he said.
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