Inside details of why FAAN suspended airfield staff in Abuja airport
Following an averted near incident involving a Max Air aircraft from Abuja, which landed on Runway 18L and a maintenance vehicle belonging…
An Air Peace flight from Port Harcourt to Lagos experienced a hard landing which caused a tyre burst and damage to the aircraft’s nose wheel at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja Lagos. The aircraft with 133 passengers and six crew members after making emergency landing reportedly veered off the runway on 18R. Photo: Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos 23/7/19
Following an averted near incident involving a Max Air aircraft from Abuja, which landed on Runway 18L and a maintenance vehicle belonging to the Civil Department of the Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has suspended the airfield officer on duty at the time of the incident.
The spokesperson of the authority, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, disclosed that FAAN has commenced a full scale investigation into the incident which almost led to an accident at the airport Thursday.
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She said the investigation was to prevent the future re-occurrence of such an incident.
Daily Trust learnt that a maintenance vehicle plying on the runway was driving towards a taxing aircraft, which had just landed at the airport.
A source told our correspondent last night that the incident almost led to a collision.
The source who narrated the incident decried the situation which he noted would have dented the image of the country.
It was learnt it happened that a pick-up vehicle belonging to the Civil Department of FAAN developed some electrical faults and since they didn’t have anyone with to effect repairs, the guys resorted to inviting an auto electrician from outside the airport.
The source added, “While trying to repair the said vehicle, the FAAN staff who ought to have stayed and monitored the auto electrician left him alone on the tarmac. As an expert, he finished the work and began calling the staff for minutes on end without luck.
“Pronto, the rewire jumped into the vehicle, kicked it into life and was driving it straight on the runway and behold, he came face to face with an aircraft taxiing and both faced each other menacingly.”
It was learnt that the Control Tower was called by the pilot and Tower called the attention of FAAN before the matter was quietly resolved.