A Max Air aircraft carrying 119 passengers and six crew members experienced a significant incident during takeoff at Yola Airport on Sunday evening.
According to a statement by Bimbo Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the aircraft’s rear gear tyres burst, with no injuries or fatalities reported.
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The incident occurred as the Boeing 737, flight NGL1649 with registration 5N-ADB, was cleared for takeoff en route to Abuja. “During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, identified as the bursting of the rear gear tyres. Initially, two tyres burst. While attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tyres also burst, rendering the aircraft completely disabled,” Oladeji explained.
The NSIB has announced that a go-team led by Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr. will visit the incident site on Monday morning to conduct a thorough investigation. “Fortunately, no injuries were reported,” Oladeji added, underscoring the fortunate outcome despite the serious nature of the incident.
This is not the first time Max Air has faced scrutiny. In 2023, an NSIB report indicted the airline for overwriting the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) following a serious incident on May 7, 2023, during landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The report also accused Max Air of ignoring a directive from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regarding the continuous overwriting of CVR information.
The previous incident involved an aircraft departing from Abuja to Yola as flight NGL1648. Upon landing and turning around for the return trip to Abuja, it was discovered that the landing gear had been left extended for three minutes to cool down due to high ground temperatures at Yola Airport.
During this period, Nigerian Air Force personnel reported seeing an object, appearing to be a tyre, falling off the departing aircraft.
The recent tyre burst incident has raised concerns about the safety protocols and maintenance practices of Max Air. The NSIB investigation will aim to uncover the root causes and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Passengers on the affected flight expressed relief that no one was injured. “It was a frightening experience, but we are grateful that everyone is safe,” said one passenger who wished to remain anonymous.
