Breaking: Enugu Air Plane Skids Off Runway at Benin Airport, Probe Underway!
An Enugu Air aircraft experienced a runway excursion at Benin Airport on Thursday amid heavy rainfall, but thankfully, all 63 passengers and five crew members disembarked safely with no injuries. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has launched a thorough investigation into the incident, which temporarily disrupted airport operations. Authorities clarified the event was a runway excursion, not a crash, due to adverse weather.
An aircraft belonging to Enugu Air experienced a runway excursion at Benin Airport in Edo State on Thursday, July 23, around 3:10 p.m., following its arrival from Enugu. The incident occurred amid torrential rainfall, leading the Embraer E170 aircraft, operating as Flight 4264 (registration 5N-ENR) from Lagos to Benin, to veer off and overrun the end of Runway 05 after landing.
Initial reports, including those circulated on social media, mistakenly suggested the aircraft had 'crash-landed.' However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) swiftly clarified that the event was a runway excursion, not a crash. Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, confirmed that the aircraft landed safely but skidded off the runway due to the adverse weather conditions. Crucially, all 63 passengers and five crew members on board were safely disembarked, and no injuries or fatalities were recorded.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) promptly launched an investigation into the occurrence. Its 'Go Team' was deployed to Benin Airport within minutes of notification, underscoring the bureau's rapid emergency response. Investigators are diligently working to preserve evidence, interview the flight crew and other relevant personnel, examine the aircraft, assess runway conditions, and review operational and technical records to determine the exact circumstances that led to the incident.
NSIB Director General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., expressed relief that everyone on board escaped unharmed but emphasized that every runway excursion is a serious occurrence requiring a thorough and independent investigation. He urged the public to refrain from speculation as investigators carry out their work in accordance with international standards. The NSIB's mandate is to improve aviation safety rather than apportion blame, and it aims to release a preliminary report within 30 days, with a final report containing findings and safety recommendations to follow upon completion of the investigation.
The incident led to temporary disruptions in flight operations at Benin Airport. Air Peace temporarily suspended all flights to and from the airport, citing the disruption as beyond its control. Enugu Air also acknowledged the runway excursion and indicated that it could result in temporary adjustments to some of its scheduled flights, with affected passengers to be contacted directly and provided assistance. Efforts to obtain comments from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) regarding the incident were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.