By Itohan Abara-Laserian
Flybird Aircraft Management Services Ltd. (AMSL) say it is working with aviation authorities to investigate the cause of the in-flight incident involving its Hawker 900XP aircraft.
The company said this in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos.
The company stated that the Hawker 900XP aircraft, registered 5N-KAL, encountered an in-flight incident while en route from Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, to Kotoka Airport, Accra.
It explained that, following safety protocols and as a precautionary measure, the aircraft safely returned to its point of departure.
“We want to inform the public that all persons on board including three crew members and a passenger are safe and unharmed.
“We are currently working in close collaboration with relevant aviation authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ascertain the root cause of the incident.
“As a responsible and responsive organisation, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain our top priority.
“As a Nigerian company operating globally, we are proud of the progress we have made,” it said.
The company also appreciated the crew members who successfully landed the aircraft safely despite the mishap.
It added, “As a licensed Air Operator by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Flybird has earned a stellar reputation for its unwavering dedication to excellence.
“As we cooperate with relevant authorities to unravel the root cause of this incident, we remain committed to practicing and advocating for safety within the aviation industry.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) on Dec. 8 began investigation into the incident.
NSIB had said that the aircraft experienced technical difficulties during its flight on Dec. 6.
According to NSIB, preliminary information indicates that the aircraft, with four persons on board; three crew members and one passenger, was climbing through flight level 240 en route to flight level 280 when the crew reported an engine number two indication issue.
The aircraft, it said, was approximately 25 nautical miles southwest of VOR station VONUK at 17:54 UTC when the crew requested a diversion back to Abuja due to the engine indication. (NAN)
