A private Hawker 800XP jet, carrying three crew members and eight passengers, crash-landed at Aminu Kano International Airport on Sunday morning, with everyone on board escaping unharmed.
The aircraft, registered 5N-ISB and operated by Flybird Aircraft Management Services Limited, departed Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for Kano at around 9:20 a.m.
The Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Bimbo Oladeji, said the nose landing gear collapsed during landing. “All three crew members and eight persons on board disembarked safely,” he confirmed.
Oladeji explained that during the approach to Kano, the flight crew reported a landing gear anomaly and performed several low passes over the runway so air traffic controllers could visually confirm the gear’s position. Kano Tower confirmed that all three landing gears appeared fully extended.
“The aircraft was positioned for landing on Runway 06 and touched down at about 10:34 a.m. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed. All eight passengers and crew exited safely with no injuries”, he added.
An eyewitness at the airport said the jet experienced difficulties while landing before eventually crash-landing on the runway.
Flybird Aircraft Management Services Limited confirmed the incident, stating that the flight crew followed all established safety procedures and successfully brought the aircraft to a safe stop. “The passengers and crew disembarked safely, and no injuries were recorded”, the company said.
The company added that the aircraft has been secured and the incident formally reported to aviation authorities. “A detailed technical inspection and investigation are ongoing in line with regulatory requirements. We remain fully committed to safety and operational excellence and will cooperate fully with the authorities as the investigation progresses”, the statement read.
NSIB has deployed its Go-Team to examine the aircraft systems, operational procedures, maintenance records, and crew actions to determine the cause of the incident.
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