A near ill-fated flight has been averted as Overland Airways made a successful landing of a distressed aircraft on the Runway 18R of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday evening.
The plane’s engine had caught fire mid-air.
The ATR 42 aircraft with the registration no. 5N-BRQ which has 37 passengers on board, was en-route Ilorin-Lagos when the plane suddenly developed a major fault, Persecondnews reports.
The four-member flight crew had sent out a “Mayday” to the Lagos Control Tower.
In Aviation parlance, “Mayday” is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications.
Consequently, the Control Tower put the airport emergency response team, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s fire services department, on red alert.
However, the pilot finally made a safe landing on the international airport’s runway with a fully prepared airport emergency response team on alert.
A statement by Overland said: “Overland Airways wishes to inform the general public that its flight OF1188 from Ilorin to Lagos experienced an unusual high turbine temperature on one of its engines today, Wednesday, June 15, 2022 around 7:50pm.
“This occurred in the approach phase of flight and the aircraft landed very safely as the crew skillfully implemented their standard procedures for such abnormal situations.
“All 33 passengers remained calm through the process and safely disembarked row by row in accordance with post-COVID-19 procedures after the aircraft came to a halt on the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos runway 18 Right. No passenger was hurt in any way.
“Overland Airways salutes the professional interventions of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N) which were very prompt and reassuring.
“Overland Airways regrets any inconvenience to its passengers and assures the travelling public of its full commitment to the safety of its services and passengers.”
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