A disaster was averted at Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Wednesday, May 29, as 393 passengers, including former president Olusegun Obasanjo, escaped a plane crash.
Other prominent Nigerians in the Ethiopian airline passenger aircraft, Boeing 777-300, included the director general of 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.
The passenger aircraft, ET-901, had departed the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, at about 9.10a.m, Ethiopian time; 7:00a.m Nigerian time.
A NAN correspondent, who was among the passengers, recalled that the almost 5-hour flight from the Ethiopian capital to Lagos had been smooth until the pilot attempted to land at the Murtala Muhammed International airport.
Rather than landing on the first touch line of the runway, the pilot over short it, due to rain and heavy wind, landing on the third touchline.
NAN reports that, on realising this, the pilot quickly manouvered the plane back air, flying out of the Lagos airport.
After hovering around between Lagos and areas suspected to be in Ogun State, causing panic in passengers and crew members, the plane landed in Lagos airport, some 20 minutes after the initial false landing.
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The atmosphere in the air bus upon landing was replica of what is obtainable in some Nigerian worship centers, as many passengers broke out into worship songs and clapping, while some fell to their knees in prayer.
The duty manager and Chief Customer Service (Nigeria) of the airline, Mr Otori Jimoh Otan, told NAN 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 Tuesday in Addis Ababa. In another news report, former president, Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerians not to give in to despair as the country marks 20 years in democratic practice as what he described as “a long spell of military dictatorship.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 29 which marks the beginning of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term in office, the former president congratulated the country in its democratic strides.
Jonathan urged the citizens not to give in as the country battles insecurity, poverty and unemployment.