Air Peace Plane Skids off Runway at PH Airport

Air Peace Flight P47291 from Abuja to Port Harcourt on Saturday skidded off the runway on touchdown due to heavy downpour.

Chief Operating Officer of the airline, Toyin Olajide, who confirmed the incident, attributed it to flooding due to heavy rainfall, which was still on when the aircraft landed.

She said the flight, a Boeing B737-500, took off from Abuja and landed at 3:42 pm when the incident happened.

Reports gathered that the aircraft was able to stop immediately it skidded off and that the runway was heavily flooded due to prolonged rainfall.

Eyewitness account said that passengers in the aircraft were petrified when the incident happened but nobody was hurt and there was no visible damage to the aircraft.

This was confirmed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Henrietta Yakubu, who said that although the aircraft skidded off the runway, the pilot was able to stop the aircraft, adding that despite the rain the undercarriage of the aircraft did not sink into the soil.

Yakubu added that from the feedback she received from Port Harcourt, none of the passengers or the crew of the flight was hurt.

The aircraft has been grounded for inspection by aviation authorities.