Borno State Deputy Governor Umar Kadafur and over 100 passengers on Wednesday evening escaped a disaster when a Max Air plane developed engine trouble some few minutes after taking off from the Maiduguri International Airport......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
It suffered an engine failure due to a bird strike 10 minutes into the flight to Abuja around 7 p.m. The captain quickly carried out an emergency landing back in the Maiduguri Airport. Indeed, a potential tragedy had just been averted.
A staff member of Max Air, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Thursday morning. The staff member said the bird strike caused an engine to catch fire. He said the quick action of the pilot saved the passengers.
Many passengers were in a panic immediately after the emergency landing and opted to claim their luggage and return home instead of embarking on another flight. But not wasting any time, the Max Air management had organized for another aircraft from Kano to take the passengers, among them the deputy governor, safely to Abuja.
Others in the flight, aside from the deputy governor, were a commissioner, special advisers, and senior special assistants. The affected aircraft stayed at Maiduguri International Airport for comprehensive repairs while investigations into the incident started.
Airport authorities have assured passengers of their commitment to safety and praised the professionalism of the crew for the good handling of the situation.
