The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has begun probe into the circumstances leading to the skidding off of an Embraer 145 aircraft in the fleet of Xejet Airlines, which plunged into a grassy verge at the Lagos Airport on Saturday.
To facilitate the exercise, the NSIB said it has deployed its team of investigators to the scene of the incident.
In an electronic statement, the accident probe body said :” NSIB confirms that an aircraft belonging to XeJet Airline skidded off the runway at the domestic wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport this morning.
“A go team has been deployed to the site of the incident.”
Experts in the industry are raising concerns over the spate of incidents involving aircraft skidding off the runway at airports across the country.
Over the years, the aviation industry has experienced serious incidents of aircraft skidding off the runway.
An event in which an aircraft veers off or overruns the runway surface during either take-off or landing is called ‘skidding off the runway.’
Last November, two aircraft from two different airlines skidded off the runway in one week.
Aero Contractors, flight NG 119 with a registered Boeing 737 aircraft 5N-BYQ from Lagos to Abuja had a total of 133 passengers on board.
All passengers were safely evacuated through a controlled disembarkation.
The same week, an aircraft operated by ValueJet Airline slipped on a taxi turn after landing and cleared off the runway at Port Harcourt airport at 3.30 local time. No damage was done to the aircraft.
United Airlines also recorded an incident in September 2023 where its aircraft skidded off the runway.
Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, the head of corporate communications, said the flight had successfully operated and landed at its destination, having arrived from the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri.
However, upon touching down in the downpour, the plane’s tyres lost grip on the wet surface, making it skid off the runway.
