A plane on the fleet of Air Peace flying from Port Harcourt to Lagos, today, made a return some minutes after taking off, an official report has confirmed.
Mr. Sam Adurogboye, who is the General Manager, Public Relations, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority , confirmed the incident in an interview.
According to Adurogboye, a fire alarm was raised in the cabin which forced the pilot to make the air return.
“The flight crew did the right thing by returning to base to check the situation,’’ he said.
Though there was initial panic, the aircraft did not crash land. The pilot however allayed the passengers’ fear by properly briefing them before landing safely.
“Air return is a precautionary flight safety procedure that must be adopted in the event of a snag.
“The pilot acted according to Standard and Recommended Practices,” Adurogboye said.
According to reports, another aircraft however was made available to convey the passengers to Lagos.