An aircraft belonging to Max Air had an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, due to a tire that reportedly caught fire.
The plane had just arrived from Yola, Adamawa State when the incident happened. The Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Service, ARFFS, stationed at the airport, were quickly mobilized to extinguish the flames.
Dr. Mike Ogirima, who was a former President of the Nigeria Medical Association, witnessed the event, and stated that the tire burst occurred after takeoff at Yola Airport. Despite this, the plane managed to make an emergency landing in Abuja with the aid of the emergency response team, and the passengers disembarked from the runway.
Dr Mike said: “We thank God. We are still on the runway and the pilot has reassured us. He has called for the stairs and we are now disembarking from the runway to be evacuated to the airport building at the arrival hall.
“We bless God because we have witnessed the pull out of the tyre right from the airport in Yola and we went into a prayer session. I never announced it as a surgeon so as not to cause any panic but we bless God.”
The passengers were safely evacuated from the plane on the runway, and the runway was temporarily closed until the aircraft was completely cleared. An airline representative verified the incident and confirmed that all passengers had safely disembarked.
