Another Plane Crash Averted

Barely a week after the Associated Airlines plane crash that took 15 lives out of the 20 passengers on board, another plane was yesterday averted in Kaduna as IRS Airline plane with 89 passengers on board was assisted to land in Kaduna after it developed mechanical problems. The aircraft was said to have had hydraulic problem and on landing at the airport had to discharge its passengers on the runway instead of taxiing to the parking lot.

Speaking on the incident, Managing Director of IRS, Mr. Yemi Dada said, the F100 plane with registration 5N-HIR, left Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos for Kaduna with 89 passengers on board and “on final approach to Kaduna today (yesterday), our cockpit crew got a low hydraulic in System One warning and decided to take precautionary measures to ask for ground confirmation that all gears were down and locked. The aircraft landed normally after the control tower had confirmed that the gears were all down normally. The crew proceeded to land but followed procedure to disembark on the runway and not taxi in accordance with the procedure.

“All passengers disembarked normally and the aircraft was towed to ramp. The maintenance crew are inspecting to confirm the issue that caused the warning to the crew. Updates will follow shortly.”

This incident came few days after Associated Airlines plane conveying the body of the former governor of Ondo State, Chief Segun Agagu and 20 others crashed 31 seconds after take-off from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, Lagos runway killing 15 of the 20 people.

Meantime, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, said, yesterday, that Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau has commenced investigation into the IRS Airline plane that had mechanical fault and had to be guided to land and discharge its passengers on the runway.

In a statement, yesterday, night, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu , Director-General, NCAA said “An aircraft F-100 with Reg no 5N-HIR , operated by IRS Airline landed safely, following a hydraulic leakage on the runway of Kaduna airport today, October 13, 2013. NCAA directed the airline to tow the aircraft to the apron and Accident Investigation & Prevention Bureau, AIPB has commenced investigation into the incident.