There was pandemonium at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos as an Ethiopia airline plane from Addis Ababa skidded off the taxiway after landing.
According to a source, the plane arriving at Lagos from Addis Ababa on Wednesday had landed and was at taxing speed when it skidded off the taxiway while trying to make a turn to go to the gate.
However, it was gathered that the crew and airport staff were seen trying to make the left landing gear free to allow free passage and to tow the aircraft away from the muddy area.
The source said, “The incident occurred at the runway end of the airport. The over 100 passengers and seven crew were alive and accounted for after the plane ditched in the green area. The Ethiopian airlines aircraft was finally towed three hours after the incident.”
When contacted, the spokesperson, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Tunji Oketunbi, said the incident was a minor one and has been handed over to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to investigate.
According to him, the type of incident doesn’t fall under the responsibility of the bureau saying, “It is not our brief, we have handed it over to the NCAA because it is a minor incident. It is the NCAA that will investigate and we have handed it over to them.”
However, the General Manager, Public Relations of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, also said it was a minor incident that happens when one operates a machine.
“I think we have passed that stage of reporting. What happened was a minor incident. An airline making an air-return is a normal thing that will happen when you operate a machine. It isn’t worth reporting as it will be over sensationalization of issues,” he added.
Credit: Leadership