Posted by By UCHE USIM, Lagos and HENRY CHUKWURAH, Port Harcourt on
A Virgin Nigeria B737 airplane flight VK 823 Thursday evening made an emergency landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport when the pilot discovered that the fire indicator was beeping.
A Virgin Nigeria B737 airplane flight VK 823 Thursday evening made an emergency landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport when the pilot discovered that the fire indicator was beeping.
Three passengers were reported injured.
Passengers aboard the Doualla, Cameroon-bound airplane were said to have been frozen in fear when the pilot announced he was making an emergency landing for suspected fire at the cargo compartment of the aircraft.
Members of the Nigeria female national team, the Super Falcons were said to be on board the aircraft. They were on their way to Camerou for an international match.
After the pilot called for an emergency landing, expectedly, air traffic controllers in Port Harcourt Airport alerted the officials of the fire department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) who immediately positioned their fire fighting trucks to curtail what they thought was fire. Thus, on landing, the airplane was thoroughly bathed with water until they discovered there was actually no fire, but a false alarm.
The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, who confirmed the incident to Daily Sun on phone said safety officers from the agency and other aviation officials were already in Port Harcourt to ascertain the true cause of the incident, stressing that the plane is still on ground for scrutiny.
According to a statement from the airline, the decision to make a precautionary landing was a safety decision taken by the pilot based on a warning indication from the rear cargo hold of the B737 aircraft.
The statement went ahead to say that all passengers and crew were safely evacuated and have been accommodated in hotels in Port-Harcourt, adding that alternative arrangements are being made for the affected passengers to continue their onward journey.