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Nigerian Domestic Aircraft Makes Emergency Landing at Lagos Airport

Posted on: Saturday, 19 November 2005, 12:00 CST

Excerpt from report by Chika Ezeokoli entiled "Plane develops fault mid-air, makes safe landing" published by Nigerian newspaper The Guardian website on 19 November

A Chanchangi Boeing 727-200 aircraft, which had 60 passengers on board, yesterday afternoon made a return flight to the Lagos airport five minutes after take-off for Abuja.

Also yesterday, President Olusegun Obasanjo threatened to employ expatriates to revamp the education sector if Nigerians could not do it.

The airline's Public Relations and Operation Manager Alhaji Tukur Mohammed attributed the action to hydraulic leakage soon after the aircraft left the domestic wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport.

Mohammed said the pilot noticed the problem mid-air and requested for a return, which was allowed by the control tower. He described the incident as normal. Any mechanical equipment Mohammed said could develop a technical problem any time. Mohammed explained that the aircraft had 60 passengers on board, who were transferred to the next aircraft to continue the trip. He said whenever an aircraft arrived at the airport, Engineers checked the engine to certify it fit or otherwise for the next flight.

Mohammed said: "Chanchang Airlines has more engineers than any other airline in the country because we have more aircraft than the other operators."

The airline official disclosed that the firm's pilots flew 80 hours monthly compared to other airlines whose pilots fly for more than 100 hours.

He explained that in anticipation of any emergency, the airline usually reserved an aircraft and "that was what we had done".

He hinted that Chanchangi had invited Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) to tow the plane from the spot it landed.

The president who, with the Bellview Flight 210 air crash at the back of his mind, bemoaned the attitude of work by officials of the sector, said the lives of Nigerians and other foreigners in the country were too precious for the sector to be allowed to carry on with business as usual. Therefore, his administration would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the sector was put on a sound pedestal, he said. He stated that the forum, which would be held once in a while was important because the economy should be the concern of all people.

The president, who spoke extensively on the aviation sector said the situation is "gloomy about the air situation in the country. I want to say that part of the problems with the aviation in Nigeria is human. All the parastatals are corrupt from top to bottom. But we are going to fight it. Life is too precious and too serious to be trifled with. We are going to fight it, whatever it takes. I have told the minister that if we are not prepared to get Nigerians to man the civil aviation department, I am ready to bring in expatriates".

He also said: "We have not paid enough attention to Nigeria's inland waterways, which are the cheapest ways of moving things. The second is rail, which we have not paid attention to. However, we have all the plans for the rail and federal government would partner with China and other countries on the rail." [Passage omitted]

Source: BBC Monitoring Africa

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