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Captain called for priority landing to avert danger-Medview Airlines
…Says Captain noticed warning signals
Medview Airline has given a graphic picture of what happened to its aircraft which was involved in an incident leading to depressurisation while descending from 32000ft altitude.
Aircraft depressurisation events are rare, but they can occur with little or no warning. The faster passengers put on their oxygen mask on, the better the chance that they will stay safe and remain capable of helping others.
Depressurisation occurs in a matter of seconds at a rate greater than 7,000 ft/min, and is normally associated with a ‘bang’ and a sudden fogging of the cabin air.
The greatest danger of depressurisation is crew incapacitation due to Hypoxia.
A statement from Medview Airlines Chief Operating Officer (COO), Michael Ajigbotosho said the aircraft Flight VL2105 was on it’s way to Lagos about 15.10 pm on Wednesday when the captain noticed a warning sign of cabin depressurisation while descending from 32, 000 feet altitude.
He explained that the Captain called for priority landing because he had been on number seven on queue for landing in sequence.
His words, “The pilot was obliged and he made a safe landing, and the passengers were calm as it did not pose a serious danger.
The incident according to him was promptly reported to the authority and investigation is on-going, admitting that the situation was professionally handled according to required operational standard procedures.
One of the passengers who called woleshadarenews described the experience as ‘crazy’.
The pilot, he said, was making announcement as the plane started descending rapidly and oxygen masks started dropping from the compartment at the roof of the airplane.
Within a week, there were three unrelated incidents from three different airlines; an act of unlawful interference on Azman aircraft; a crash landing by Air Peace airline aircraft and the latest, emergency deployment of oxygen masks for passengers on Medview flight.
Some of the 133 passengers and six crew members were left injured when Air Peace’s B737-500, with registration number 5N-BQO, crash landed on the runway of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
Tuesday’s incident was one out of the many incidents involving the airline in the last six months raising concern about air safety in the country’s aviation industry.
The aircraft, on landing on 18R, veered off the runway and lost its nose wheel.
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), in a statement, said it was notified that an aircraft, operated by Med-View Nigeria Limited, Boeing 737-500 with registration marks 5N-BQM, was involved in a serious incident en-route Lagos from Abuja on July 23, 2019 at about 3:07 p.m. local time.
A statement by spokesman for the agency, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, said the aircraft was carrying 27 passengers and six crew members on board, adding that there was no fatality.
He noted that from the information gathered so far, cabin altitude warning came on at FL 320 followed by deployment of oxygen masks which necessitated the crew to carry out emergency descent procedure.
“Our team of safety investigators has commenced investigation. 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”, he added.
