National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
…Airplane’s wing, engine seriously damaged, some passengers traumatized
Olabode Adaramola
No fewer than 579 pilgrims from Niger State, including some aircrew who were returning from Pilgrimage after performing this year’s hajj operation in Macca, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia missed death by the whiskers on Saturday at the Minna International airport when one of the Airplanes on the fleets of Max airline that uplifted them back to the country crashed landed on the tarmac of the airport, while landing on the runway.
The incident was said to have occurred at about 4:55am when the airplane allegedly crashed landed on what was described as an human error on the part of the pilot of the airplane while he was trying to land at the airport.
It was further learnt that the airplane had slipped to the left side while one of it’s engines was said to have touched the runway and scratched the runway, though unknown to the pilot who allegedly thought the had landed smoothly, according to a source at the airport.
Further checks revealed that the aircraft a Boeing 744 marked 5N/ DBK conveying about 579 pilgrims which included some crew members of the airline, following a technical fault which was said to have resulted in its forceful landing a development that caused damage to one of the aircraft’s four engines.
A source at the Minna, International Airport who spoke with our reporter on the condition of anonymity on Saturday said some parts of the runway was tourched and scratched by the airplane, a situation which was said to have been responsible for some damages to the body of the aircraft.
The source further disclosed that some Engineers from the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) had been dispatched to Minna International airport, from Abuja to check the extent of the damage done to the aircraft by the incidence, adding that the aircraft has been grounded.
“It was a technical error from the pilot, because the pilot himself did not know that some damage has been done to both the aircraft and the runway until he alighted from the cockpit of the aircraft and his attention was called to it, ” said the very reliable source.
He however stated that the airplane can still be ferried to Aminu Kano International Airport from Minna international airport by not flying at a very high altitude.
In a related development, National Wires learnt that most of the passengers were in shock as on board the aircraft following a loud bang they allegedly heard while the aircraft was on air, after which the passengers were said to have quickly rushed out of the airplane, as soon as it stabilised after landing on Saturday in Minna, the Niger State capital,
An eye witness told our reporter that although no live was lost as a result of the incident, but about three passengers were said to have been traumatised as a result of their experience along sides other passengers on board the airplane.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer, Niger state Pilgrims Welfare Board, Hajiya Hassana Isah when contacted confirmed the story to our teporter in an interview by Telephone, she however did not give further details.
