Aero Crash Avoided

A Boeing 737-500 aircraft, belonging to Aero Contractors, Nigeria’s oldest commercial carrier involved in domestic and regional air transport business, on Sunday, suffered a technical malfunction that led to the release of smoke in the cabin.

The aircraft, flight AJ 320, which left Port Harcourt with 84 adult passengers, an infant, and five crew members on board, was said to have encountered an abnormal landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. “We thank God that we are all alive though the landing process was a bit abnormal from the usual pattern I know,” said a traveller, who wished not to be named.

The airline, in a statement, however, said that it “successfully” evacuated the passengers, adding that the cause of the incident is being investigated. “Aero was able to successfully evacuate all passengers and crew as the aircraft landed at the international airport,” the statement said. “The airline with officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have been invited to investigate the cause of the incident.”

Efforts to contact Sam Adurogboye, the Media Head for the civil aviation regulatory body, were unsuccessful as calls made to his mobile phone did not go through.