AIB investigates Air Peace’s tyre burst on landing

• Passengers petition NCAA over incessant flight delay
• Recount experience on botched flight

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has begun investigation into a “serious incident” involving Air Peace’s B737-300.

Spokesman for the AIB, Tunji Oketunbi in a statement said the incident involving the airline’s aircraft with nationality and registration Marks 5N-BUQ occurred around 9:31pm on March 8, 2021.

The aircraft, with 127 passengers and six crew members onboard, he said, was en-route Lagos from Abuja, when the plane had a burst tyre on landing on Runway 18R of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos,  and taxied to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) to park.

He further stated that there was no injury or fatality, stressing that as the investigating agency, “AIB needs and hereby solicits for your assistance”.

“We want the public to know that we would be amenable to receiving any video clip, relevant evidence, or information any members of the public may have of the accident; that can assist us with this investigation”.

The accident investigative agency urged the public to kindly contact them on their official communication channels: Mobile App:AIB-NWebsite:   www.aib.gov.ng, Twitter: @aibnigeria, Instagram: @AIB_Nigeria, Facebook: AIB Nigeria, Email:    Commissioner@aib.gov.ng, SMS/WhatsApp: +234807 709 0900, 0807 709 0928

He noted that the Bureau would appreciate that the general public and press respect the privacy of the people involved and not assume the cause of the accident until a formal report is released, noting that the Bureau would soon release the preliminary report or update the public when necessary.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have begun to complain about incessant flight delays by virtually all the local airlines. They have however petitioned the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over a matter they said is fast taking the joy out of air travel.

Two days ago, over 100 passengers had reportedly stormed out of an Air Peace Kano bound B737-300 airplane more than an hour after they boarded the plane.

They were seen in a viral video screaming on top of their voices to the crew of the aircraft over suffocation occasioned by an alleged faulty cooling system of the airplane.

After a passenger reportedly fainted, the crew urgently called for the opening of the aircraft door, forcing a stampede-like rush out of the airplane as they emptied unto the tarmac of the Lagos airport with many of them cursing and crying over the incident.

One of the passengers who simply gave her name as Kofo and who called Aviation Metric on the pain they were subjected said, “I have been at the domestic wing of the Lagos airport since 5 pm. I boarded Air peace at 6.30 for Kano.

“The doors were shut and not even a single seat empty. We were holed up in the cabin of the aircraft for more than 45 minutes. The air conditioner was not working.  We were all sweating like Christmas goats inside the aircraft. The passengers finally revolted and forced them to bring back the stairs and open the door”.

“In the midst of the confusion, a young lady fainted and we all finally came down.  We were driven back to the departure hall where we waited till 1am the next day and arrived at Kano past 2:am and are still waiting”.

Just yesterday, a similar incident occurred leading to huge delay for passengers travelling to Owerri, Imo State. Passengers were driven to the foot of  the airplane.

On getting to board the aircraft, they were told to get back on the bus and back to the terminal without anyone telling them what was going on.

Wole Shadare