As the country is yet to recover from the shock of the crash involving an Embraer 120 plane belonging to Associated Aviation Limited at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, which killed 15 of the people on board, another aircraft, a Fokker 28 belonging to IRS, another domestic carrier, on Sunday, suffered an emergency landing at the Kaduna airport.
According to an inside source, the aircraft, which departed the Murtala Mohammed Airport Two (MMA2), Lagos, on Sunday, developed a hydraulic problem a few minutes before landing at the airport.
The aircraft, with the flight number 3390 and with 89 passengers on board, was said to have asked for an emergency landing permission from the control tower, which was immediately granted it.
IRS Airlines currently operates one aircraft on all its routes, while the remaining aircraft, which have gone for checks since early this year, are yet to return to service.
Confirming the incident in a terse statement, the Managing Director of the airline, Mr Yemi Dada, said that the aircraft developed the fault on final approach to Kaduna airport.
Dada explained that its cockpit crew got a low hydraulic in system one warning and decided to take precautionary measures to ask for ground confirmation that all gears were down and locked.
He stated that the aircraft landed normally after the control tower had confirmed that the gears were all down.
He added: “The crew proceeded to land, but followed procedure to disembark on the runway and not taxi in accordance with the procedure.
“All passengers disembarked normally and the aircraft was towed to ramp. The maintenance crew are inspecting to confirm the issue that caused the warning to the crew.”
Joe Obi, Special Adviser on Media to Minister of Aviation, said in a reaction that “an IRS aircraft from Lagos to Kaduna landed safely at the airport at about 11 a.m this morning in spite of developing a minor hydraulic problem on approach landing. The pilot, using Reverse Throttle mechanism, safely landed and stopped the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft was not involved in an emergency landing.
“All passengers and crew disembarked safely, after which the aircraft was towed from the runway to the apron. Normal operations have since resumed at the airport.’’
Also reacting, Captain Fola Akinkoutu, Director-General, NCAA, said: “An aircraft, F. 100 with Reg no 5N-HIR, operated by IRS Airline landed safely, following a hydraulic leakage on the runway of kaduna airport today, October 13, 2013.
‘‘NCAA directed the airline to tow the aircraft to the apron and Accident Investigation Prevention Bureau (AIPB) has commenced investigation into the incident.
‘‘The NCAA wishes to assure all air travellers of their safety and caution against magnifying a manageable incident out of proportion.”
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