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| Photo Credit: Saharareporters |
63 persons which includes fifty nine passengers and four crew members aboard an Overland plane cheated death on Saturday when an overland aircraft veered off the Ilorin airport runway.
In a statement signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, said that there was no loss of life in the incident, as he said the incident is being investigated.
The Statement reads thus; “An Overland flight 1186, an ATR 72 aircraft with Registration number 5N-BPG from the Abuja airport to Ilorin, carrying fifty nine passengers and four crew members,veered off the runway at low speed after a normal landing at the Ilorin Airport.
“The incident which occurred today, Saturday, November 29, at 4.45pm, has no casualty recorded. However, the Accident and Prevention Bureau in conjunction with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has begun an investigation into the cause of the incident.
“The authority wishes to use this medium to reassure Nigerians that the safety of the traveling public is still paramount and cannot be compromised.”
Meanwhile a statement from Overland management said; “It was a normal flight to Ilorin and standard procedures of flight were followed. The aircraft landed safely at Ilorin Airport at 1645hrs as scheduled and decelerated to a low speed, and in turning off the active runway, veered off the pavement.
“At the directive of the Pilot In Command, our cabin crew calmly evacuated all the 59 passengers safely and they were moved to the airport terminal. No passengers or crew sustained any injuries whatsoever.
“Our Ilorin passengers have since collected their baggage and gone home while the Ibadan Airport bound passengers will continue on Overland Airways to Ibadan Airport.”
