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(Breaking News) False fire alarm force a Lagos-Abuja bound MedView Plane Make a U-turn

Published

11 years ago

March 16, 2014

MedView Airlines Flight 2102, departing Lagos for Abuja,
yesterday, made air return to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos
shortly after take-off at 9:12 am with 94 passengers and five crew
members following a false fire alarm raised by some passengers on-
board.
The Boeing 737 aircraft, with registration number 5N-BPB, was
forced to return to the Lagos airport at about 9:17am and landed
safety with all 99 persons on board.
Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority
(NCAA), Engr. Benedict Adeyileka, said the pilot made the air
return as a precautionary measure to avert air disaster.
Adeyileka noted that the aircraft had to return as a result of flight
fumes observed in the aircraft which the passengers mistook for fire
and reacted in panic.
”The captain of the aircraft took a decision to return to Lagos more
from the danger of passenger reaction which may have destabilized the
aircraft, rather than from the fumes.
This is in line with NCAA directive to pilots to return to base in case
of doubts,” he said.
The NCAA boss explained that the agency had started investigation
into the incident to ascertain the cause of the fumes, stressing that
inspectors were on ground on routine ramp inspection at the time of
the incident.
He stated that the aircraft had been grounded, pointing out that the
NCAA would only release it when the agency had completed
investigations that the aircraft was good to go into operations.
Meanwhile, the General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian
Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr. Supo Atobatele, said
the aircraft made the air return and landed safetly on runway18 left
at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
Also the spokesman for the MedView Airlines, Mr. Oyibotha
Obuke, said the aircraft made the air return some minutes after take-
off due to a false fire alarm.
Obuke said that smoke was seen coming out of the cabin which
triggered the alarm, noting that the pilot, in display of professionalism,
made an air return immediately and landed safely.
Also confirming the air return, Coordinating Spokesperson, Aviation
Parastatals, Yakubu Datti, said NCAA and the Accident
Investigation Board, AIB, had commenced investigation into the return…..