National Disaster Averted: A Car nearly collides with Dana Plane Carrying 157 Passengers on Airport Runway
- A report has shown how a significant danger was avoided four days before Christmas at domestic wing of Murtala muhammed airport
- According to the report a Nigeria Customs Service vehicle nearly collided with a speedy airplane which was preparing to take off
- This is not the first time a car and an airplane almost collided, there have been other accounts of close misses
A national disaster was avoided a few days before Christmas at the Murtala Muhammed Airport when a vehicle operated by the Nigeria Customs Service nearly slammed into a Dana Air plane about to take flight.
The incident occurred at the Runway 18L of the airport on Tuesday December 21, 2021 the punch reports.
Dana Air MD 83 plane with registration number 5N JOY was departing Lagos airport for Enugu with a total of 157 passengers and seven crew members on board.
Source: UGC
According to the report, the pilot was angry when a military vehicle drove dangerously close to his nose, prompting him to use the brakes abruptly.
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This compelled NAMA authorities at the control tower to inform Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) airside personnel, who quickly pursued the driver NCS officer Wilfed.T. with ODC number 36789.
Mrs Henrieta Yakubu, FAAN's General Manager, Public Affairs, acknowledged the development but stated that the agency has subsequently enhanced security at the airport's airside following the event.
More incidents
FAAN has previously been involved in many serious runway and airside encroachment incidents.
On Wednesday, 15 December, a Max Air plane landed on runway 18L of the Lagos airport and almost collided with a malfunctioning vehile being tested on the runway.
It was gathered that FAAN's Civil Department van had developed a fault, and officials were forced to invite Opeyemi Soyombo an auto technician from outside the airport to fix it.
Several airport officials later verified that when the auto technician was testing the automobile on runway 18L, a Max Airplane coming from Abuja with people on board abruptly landed and collided with the moving car.
As he battled to avoid colliding with the automobile, the pilot of the speeding jet was forced to quickly halt the fast plane's roll-on operation.
More incidents on the runway
On December 27, 2019, an unidentified individual unexpectedly entered the airside and ascended a moving Air Peace jet.
The suspect was eventually apprehended by security personnel who were alerted by the pilot of a private jet approaching the Air Peace plane.
The incident occurred only six months after a guy gained access to the Lagos airport and hopped aboard a Port Harcourt-bound Azman Airlines flight.
The guy, who was initially thought to be mentally ill, was eventually recognized as Usman Adamu of the Republic of Niger.
According to the police, the Nigerien could not speak or comprehend English.
Lagos to Abuja one way ticket now goes for N60,000
Legit.ng had earlier reported how the cost of travelling by air within the country skyrocketed as of October amid an increase in the number of passengers.
Between January to June 2021, data from the National Bureau of Statistics show over 18 Nigerian airports recorded 5.27 million domestic passengers arrival and departure traffic.
Nigeria currently has at least 31 active airports, Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt record the highest passengers traffic.
Source: Legit.ng
