The passenger aircraft, ET-901, had departed the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, at about 9.10 am, Ethiopian time; 7am Nigerian time. Other prominent Nigerians on board the aircraft included the Director General, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni.
Also in the plane was Prof. Samson Tunde Adebayo, the Director of Ports Inspection, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as well as scores of Nigerians and other nationals.
Also, a NAN correspondent, who was among the passengers, recalled that the five-hour flight from Addis Ababa to Lagos had been smooth until the pilot attempted to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
According to the NAN reporter, rather than landing on the first touch line of the runway, the pilot over-short it due to heavy rain and wind, instead landing on the third touchline.
The pilot on realising quickly manoeuvred the plane back into the air, flying out of the Lagos airport.
After hovering around Lagos and areas suspected to be in Ogun State, causing panic among passengers and crew members, the plane landed at the Lagos airport, some 20 minutes after the initial false landing.
The atmosphere in the airbus upon landing was replica of what is obtainable in majority of Nigerian worship centres, as many passengers broke out into worship songs and clapping, while others fell to their knees in prayer.
Duty manager and Chief Customer Service (Nigeria) of the airline, Otori Jimoh Otan, told reporters that if the pilot had continued taxing down after landing on the third touch line, he would have overshot the runway.
“But, this is an experienced pilot. He realised this immediately.
Fortunately, the distance between when he realised the situation still permitted him to take off and renegotiate landing,” Otori said.
He added that the incident was not out of place, while confirming that the wind obscured the pilot’s vision.
Otori also disclosed that most of the aircrafts that flew out of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport had to fly against the mid day heavy wind.
“These things happen. That is where the sophistication of the aircraft and experience of the cabin crew members come in.
The aircraft is one of the best you can have around and we are fortunate to have pilots who know their onions,” he said.
Obasanjo and Olukanni had both attended a stakeholders’ dialogue on Continental Trade and Strengthening Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which ended on May 28, in Addis Ababa.
0 Comments