Passengers on an Air Peace flight from Abuja to Asaba narrowly escaped a potential disaster on Friday after the aircraft experienced an engine failure while preparing for take-off at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.The incident occurred shortly after the plane had gained speed and was nearing the point of take-off when a loud blast was heard, followed by flashes of light. Fortunately, there was no fire outbreak.
The pilot immediately aborted take-off and taxied the aircraft safely back to the terminal, where all passengers were disembarked. Eyewitnesses said the situation caused panic among passengers, some of whom broke into prayers and songs of thanksgiving after the aircraft came to a halt. A passenger told Zagazola Makama that the pilot maintained composure and quickly announced that the flight would not proceed due to a technical issue.
“We had gained full speed on the runway when we suddenly heard a loud bang. The plane shook slightly, and there was a flash like lightning. The pilot calmly informed us that there had been an engine failure and that we would return to the terminal,” the passenger recounted.
Air Peace officials had yet to issue an official statement as of the time of filing this report, but sources at the airport confirmed that engineers were already inspecting the affected aircraft to determine the cause of the malfunction. No injuries or damage were reported, and all passengers were safely evacuated in line with aviation safety protocols. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is expected to investigate the incident in accordance with standard air safety procedures.
Source: https://zagazola.org/
