From Suleiman Amagbor, in Lagos
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau’s (NSIB) on Sunday disclosed that it has carried out a toxicology test on the crew of an NG Eagle aircraft that was operated by Xejet which overran the runway 18L at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Saturday.
The tests were meant to examine if the crew had ingested any substance that could have impaired their mental capability but the Investigation Bureau declared that all the result returned negative.
The B5 aircraft with registration number 5NBZZ skidded off the runway into the grass having landed the runway from Abuja at 11:29 am with 52 persons on board.
Meanwhile, the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of FAAN, Mrs Obiageli Orah in a statement on Sunday said “Runway 18L has been reopened after an NG Eagle XEjet with the registration number 5N-BZZ, enroute from Abuja to Lagos, landed and skidded off the runway. There were no casualties as a result of the incident. FAAN remains committed to providing seamless service to the Nigerian public.”
The NSIB in an update on Sunday evening said its inquiry into the runway overrun incident involving XeJet Airline’s Embraer 145 aircraft was ongoing.
The agency Director for Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji said “The aircraft with registration number 5N BZZ, operated by XeJet Airline on behalf of NG Eagle Airlines, was completing a scheduled flight from Abuja to Lagos with 49 passengers and 3 crew members onboard.
The flight departed Abuja at 11:10 a.m., maintaining a cruising altitude of Flight Level 280. It was cleared for landing after being held for 50 minutes in Lagos, waiting for the weather to clear.”
The NSIB explained that the aircraft then landed on Runway 18 Left (18L) and went off the end of the runway to the left of the centerline and stopped on the grass verge approximately 326 meters from the threshold of Runway 36R.
The report indicated that the captain subsequently shut down the engines and commanded an evacuation through a controlled disembarkation with three exit doors used for the evacuation process, including two over-wing windows and one forward exit door.
“There were no reported injuries or fatalities as a result of the incident. However, damage was sustained to the aircraft’s nose landing gear and both main landing gear tyres.
NSIB was notified of the incident by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) at 1:20 PM, and a Go Team was promptly deployed to the incident site, arriving at 1:51 PM.”
Director General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Captain Alex Badeh Jr. said “NSIB’s investigation into this incident is ongoing. Our focus is determining the factors that led to the runway overrun.”
“Our investigators have interviewed the captain, senior first officer, and purser. Toxicology tests were also conducted on the crew to check for any impairing substances. All tests came back negative.”
“The Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder have been retrieved and the data downloaded for further analysis at our transport safety lab,” Captain Badeh Jr. remarked.
It added that “NSIB’s investigation of this incident will examine various aspects, including the airworthiness status of the aircraft, operational policies, human factors, weather conditions, health and mental status of the crew, aircraft maintenance records, and any previous incidents involving this aircraft’s landing gear system. Air traffic control data, cockpit voice recordings, and flight data recorders will also be downloaded and examined.
In accordance with international aviation safety protocols, a preliminary report containing a summary of basic fact-finding about the incident will be released within 30 days. A final report with safety recommendations will be issued at the conclusion of the investigation.”
According to the investigation body “During the course of the investigation, NSIB will collaborate with relevant stakeholders including Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, as well as other relevant institutions and specialists, to gather all necessary information, data, and evidence concerning the operation of the flight.
This investigation aims to identify any safety deficiencies and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The objective of this investigation is to arrive at the cause of the incident and the factors that led to it, and to issue safety recommendations to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
The NSIB said updates on the incident will be provided as the investigation progresses.
