There was no crash landing, it was a runway excursion- NCAA
An airplane operated by Dana Airline has veered off the runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The affected aircraft, a McDonald Douglas (MD-83) with registration 5N-BKI, had 83 passengers on board.
Spokesman for the airline, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa, however, said the 83 passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely without injuries.
Ezenwa, in a statement, said: “Dana Air regrets to inform the public of a runway incursion involving one of our aircraft, registration number 5N BKI, which was flying from Abuja to Lagos today, 23/04/24.
“We are relieved to confirm that all 83 passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely without injuries or scare as the crew handled the situation with utmost professionalism.
“We have also updated the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on the incident, and the aircraft involved has been grounded by our maintenance team for further investigation.
“We wish to thank the airport authorities, our crew for their very swift response in ensuring the safe disembarkation of all passengers following the incident, and our sincere apologies and appreciation to the passengers on the affected flight for their patience and understanding.”
There was no crash landing, it was a runway excursion – NCAA
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has debunked rumours that an airplane operated by Dana Air crash landed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Tuesday, saying it was a runway excursion.
NCAA described the occurrence which affected a McDonald Douglas (MD-83) with registration 5N-BKI as a serious incident, stressing that it was not an accident.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Mr Mike Achimugu, in a chat with Vanguard, also said officials of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, were on ground to investigate the incident.
Achimugu said: “Even the images would prove that it was a runway excursion. It is called a ‘serious incident’ and not even an accident. There was no crash landing. The statutory agency for investigating incidents like this is the NSIB and they are on ground.”
An aviation management consultant, Mr Babatunde Adeniji, also said: “A runway incursion is when an aircraft or vehicle that should not be on the runway enters the runway. A runway excursion is when an aircraft veers off or overruns the runway. Today’s mishap was a runway excursion.
“We don’t speculate in aviation, we always wait for the investigators’ reports. But, remember the aircraft takes off and lands at an extremely high speed, so any small wrong turn or skid in the surface can catapult it anywhere.”
