Panic as fire alarm forces Lagos-Abuja plane to make air return

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 air return.

Source: Vanguard