Retracted aircraft nose wheel results in Dana Air crash, no casualty recorded

By Sodiq Adelakun

A retracted nose wheel of the Dana Air aircraft resulted in a plane crash on Tuesday at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos.

This was made known according to a statement by the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

According to the NCCA, the aircraft suffered a runway excursion, saying upon landing, the aircraft’s nose wheel retracted, the nose collapsed and the aircraft veered off the runway into the grassy area.

The statement read, “NCAA wishes to inform the public that on April 23, 2024, at about 08:25, a Dana Airline aircraft was involved in a runway excursion occurrence.

“The Aircraft, an MD82 with registration marks 5SN-BKI, departed Abuja for Lagos with 83 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. Upon landing at MMIA, the Air Transport Controller, ATC, Tower observed at C4 that the Nosewheel had retracted and the nose of the aircraft collapsed and the aircraft veered off the runway into the grassy area.

“Very importantly, all passengers and crew disembarked and were evacuated safely while Runway 18L was closed. In accordance with statutory procedures, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, has commenced its investigation into the occurrence.

“The NCAA reiterates its avowed commitment to a safe and secure aviation sector. In furtherance to this commitment, the Authority will be looking to implement the safety recommendations expected from the NSIB investigation while it carries out its own in-house safety assessment of the occurrence.”

 The Dana Air aircraft experienced a runway incursion around 10:30 a.m on Tuesday.

In a statement, Dana Air’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kingsley Ezenwa, expressed relief, confirming the well-being of all 83 passengers and crew members on board.

“Dana Air regrets to inform the public of a runway incursion involving one of our aircraft, with registration number 5N BKI, which was flying from Abuja to Lagos today, 23/04/2,” the statement said.

“We are relieved to confirm that all 83 passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely without injuries or scare as the crew handled the situation with utmost professionalism.

“The aircraft involved has been grounded by our maintenance team for further investigation,” the airline said.

“We wish to reassure our passengers that their safety will always be our top priority, and we are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the statement added.