Panic As Arik Air Plane Suffers Mid-air Engine Fault

An in-flight engine issue occurred on Wednesday on a planned domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt on an Arik Air Boeing 737-7GL, according to confirmation from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

The plane, registered 5N-MJF, was said to have been compelled to make a safe and incident-free landing at Benin Airport.

In a statement, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, disclosed the information.

The agency claims that during the flight’s cruise phase, the flight crew noticed unusual signals coming from one of the aircraft’s engines.

As a precaution, the pilots turned down the faulty engine and decided to divert to the closest appropriate airfield, adhering to established safety procedures in the tight environment.

All passengers and crew disembarked normally after the plane made a safe landing at Benin Airport. There were no reported injured.

Based on an initial visual examination, the NSIB reported that first observations revealed considerable damage to the afflicted engine.

“Based on a preliminary visual evaluation, preliminary observations at Benin Airport indicate serious damage to the afflicted engine. According to the statement, the NSIB has started an inquiry in accordance with its statutory mission and international norms under ICAO Annex 13.

In order to secure the aircraft and collect pertinent evidence, it further stated that an assessment team had been sent to the location.

The statement continued, “The assessment team is on their way to Benin to secure the aircraft, document evidence, interview pertinent witnesses and personnel, and recover flight data and cockpit voice recorder information.”

The agency further revealed that in order to ascertain the chronology of events and pinpoint any contributing elements, it is collaborating closely with Arik Air, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and other important parties.

It is anticipated that the investigation’s findings will inform safety guidelines meant to stop future occurrences of the same kind.