Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada
Just after the embarrassment of an emergency door falling off on landing in Abuja, Dana Airlines is enmeshed in another aviation near mishap, this time in Port Harcourt.Reports said the airline’s plane, coming from Abuja, overshot the Port Harcourt runway on Tuesday night and ended up in the bush.
Photographs and tweets said there was no injury to the 49 passengers as they were evacuated from the marooned plane. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria also confirmed that all passengers were safely evacuated.
Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said: “A Dana aircraft flight 9J0363, flying from Abuja to Port Harcourt airport, has overshot the Port Harcourt runway.“The incident was suspected to have been caused by a heavy rain, which was accompanied by strong wind and storm in Port Harcourt.“No casualty was recorded, as all passengers on board were safely evacuated.”Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), also confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).He said the aircraft was partially damaged after it overshot the runway.“I learnt the runway has been closed but it will be reopened before the next 30 minutes after inspection has been carried out on it.“Forty-nine passengers were on board and safely evacuated. The aircraft came in from Abuja to Port Harcourt, “he saidSince its last crash on 3 June 2012 in Ishaga, Lagos, Dana Airlines has always been under a radar of suspicion by Nigeria’s air passengers. The crash then killed all the 159 passengers on board, including some people on the ground, where the plane crashed.*Updated with FAAN and NCAA statements
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