A major air crash was averted on Wednesday night when a 33-passenger plane belonging to Overland Airways made an emergency landing at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos.
The aircraft had taken off from the Ilorin International Airport in Kwara State.
It was learnt that the incident occurred when one of the aircraft’s engines caught fire mid-air as the plane approached the airport.
All the 33 passengers onboard the flight were, however, said to have been safely disembarked at the international Wing.
The Pilot-in-Command of the ATR-42 Aircraft, it was gathered, had already declared a May Day, a term in aviation which means there’s an emergency situation.
But the airport authorities were said to have immediately activated all emergency procedures as the crew made strenuous efforts to manoeuvre the aircraft.
The airline, in a statement, confirmed the incident, but added that all the passengers onboard the aircraft remained calm all through the process.
The airline’d statement read, “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 skillfuly 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 (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) 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 safety of its services and passengers.”