Posted by Vanguard on
THE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has lifted the ban placed last Wednesday on four of Chanchangi Airlines Boeing 727-200 following the partial landing of one of the aircraft type in the airline's fleet at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, saying they were fit to fly.
THE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has lifted the ban placed last Wednesday on four of Chanchangi Airlines Boeing 727-200 following the partial landing of one of the aircraft type in the airline's fleet at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, saying they were fit to fly.
The regulatory agency had, as a result of the incident, subjected all of the airline;s Boeing 727-200, excluding the one involved in the incident, to test to ascertain the serviceability and reliability of the retraction/extension of the landing gear system of the aircraft.
It should be recalled that the partial landing of last Wednesday resulted from the failure of the landing gear system to shoot out for the aircraft to land.
In ascertaining the serviceability of the aircraft landing gear system, NCAA inspectors test- flew each of the aircraft from one airport to the other.
The schedule of the NCAA made available to Saturday Vanguard showed that one of the aircraft was flown to Abuja airport from Kaduna, while another was tested to Abuja from Kaduna.
Similarly, a third aircraft stationed in Lagos was test flown to Port Harcourt, just as the fourth stationed in Port Harcourt was flown to Lagos.
The fifth which was involved in the partial landing is still parked at Nigeria Airways hangar, where it was towed, awaiting the attention of the airline engineers.
After the test flights, it was learnt that the inspectors certified the aircraft okay and fit to fly again.
Reacting to the development yesterday, Chanchangi Airlines co-ordinator/public Relations Manager, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, said aside from test flying the aircraft, NCAA inspectors also verified all the documents of the aircraft, including the C-checks carried out on the ill-fated aircraft in Ethiopia last October.
Alhaji Tukur said the aircraft would soon be deployed back into operation, while the airline engineers effect repair works on the landing gear system of the one involved in the partial landing incident.
The faulty aircraft, he added, would take the engineers not more than 24 hours to do, stressing that what happened to the ill-fated aircraft was normal and could happen even to a new aircraft.
Tukur said Chanchangi Airline had never compromised safety and would never do so.
Explaining the extent to which the airline goes to ensure safety, Tukur said; 'Every six months, we send our aircraft for C Checks, according to the Manual. The one involved in the partial landing was sent for C-checks only last October and the check is to be every six months.
'We, at Chanchangi, are proud to send our aircraft for C-checks. Not many operators are prepared to send their aircraft for such checks because if they do, the aircraft will not come back."
Meanwhile, Kenya Airways has denied report of the crash landing of one of its aircraft at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
The airline said in a statement signed by Country Manager, Ohikhuae Ehimiaghe: 'after safe landing at the Mohammed International Airport yesterday (Wednesday), the captain of flight KQ432 noticed smoke from one of the tyres and called on the control tower to deploy firefighters as a precautionary measure.
t was found in one of the eight brake units, which as a result was grazing the wheel causing the draft of smoke. The unit was replaced immediately.
'In compliance with Kenya Airways air safety procedure, the pilot arranged for a bus to transport the passenger safely to the airport terminal, while KQ filed their report to the airport authorities. The flight left Lagos at 1255 hrs to arrive safely in Nairobi at 2045hrs."