29th December, 2013
Simon Ateba/Aviation correspondent
An Aero Contractors plane, whose tyre lost pressure mid-air, landed safely at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, western Nigeria, aviation authorities said on Sunday.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-500 with Registration No 5N-BLC, landed at 10.50 a.m with 104 passengers and crew members on board, said the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
The aircraft has been towed to the apron and the Accident Investigation Prevention Bureau, AIPB has commenced investigation into the incident, said Yakubu Dati, FAAN spokesperson.
“We wish to assure all air travelers of their safety and caution against magnifying a manageable incident out of proportion,” Dati said.
Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Nasir Elrufai, was among the passengers on the plane.
El-Rufai, who was on his way to attend Last Sunday of the year Church service at Pastor Tunde Bakare’s Latter Rain Assembly, broke the news via his Twitter handle.
Nasir El-Rufai (@elrufai): “Upon landing in Lagos, our Aero aircraft lost a tyre. The pilot did a great job of breaking to a halt suitably. My phones flew under seats, he said”.
Nasir El-Rufai (@elrufai): “It was amusing hearing shouts of Allah Akbar and Jesus, while the dutiful captain was trying to slow the plane down to a safe location”!
Nasir El-Rufai (@elrufai): “One of the passengers joked that he knew nothing would happen to us as I was on board, nice of him, but Allah Decides our fate in His Way”.
Nasir El-Rufai (@elrufai): “The Aero pilot was good, the cabin staff calm and professional in the midst of mild drama and little panic by a few passengers. We Thank God”.
Nasir El-Rufai (@elrufai): “On my way to Latter Rain Assembly to see my egbon, Pastor Tunde Bakare, by God’s Grace”.