The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that it has commenced investigation into the runway overrun incident involving XeJet Airline’s Embraer 145 aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA)
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of NSIB, Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji on Sunday.
“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau’s (NSIB) inquiry into the runway overrun incident involving XeJet Airline’s Embraer 145 aircraft is ongoing. Preliminary fact-finding revealed that the incident occurred at 1:00 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The aircraft with registration number 5N BZZ, operated by XeJet Airline on behalf of NG Eagle Airlines, was completing a scheduled flight from Abuja to Lagos with 49 passengers and 3 crew members onboard.
“The flight departed Abuja at 11:10 a.m., maintaining a cruising altitude of Flight Level 280. It was cleared for landing after being held for 50 minutes in Lagos, waiting for the weather to clear. The aircraft then landed on Runway 18 Left (18L) and went off the end of the runway to the left of the centreline. It stopped on the grass verge approximately 326 meters from the threshold of Runway 36R.
“The captain subsequently shut down the engines and commanded an evacuation through a controlled disembarkation. Three exit doors were used for the evacuation process, including two over-wing windows and one forward exit door. There were no reported injuries or fatalities as a result of the incident. However, damage was sustained to the aircraft’s nose landing gear and both main landing gear tyres,” the statement reads in part.
NSIB stated that it was notified of the incident by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) at 1:20 PM, and a ‘Go Team’ was promptly deployed to the incident site, arriving at 1:51pm.
The Director General of NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr. reiterated that it has started finding into the occurrence, stressing that interviews have been conducted.
His words: “NSIB’s investigation into this incident is ongoing. Our focus is determining the factors that led to the runway overrun. Our investigators have interviewed the captain, senior first officer, and purser. Toxicology tests were also conducted on the crew to check for any impairing substances. All tests came back negative.
“The Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder have been retrieved and the data downloaded for further analysis at our transport safety lab.”
The statement explained that NSIB’s investigation of the incident will examine various aspects, including the airworthiness status of the aircraft, operational policies, human factors, weather conditions, health and mental status of the crew, aircraft maintenance records, and any previous incidents involving this aircraft’s landing gear system.
It noted that air traffic control data, cockpit voice recordings, and flight data recorders will also be downloaded and examined.
“In accordance with international aviation safety protocols, a preliminary report containing a summary of basic fact-finding about the incident will be released within 30 days. A final report with safety recommendations will be issued at the conclusion of the investigation.
“During the course of the investigation, NSIB will collaborate with relevant stakeholders including Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, as well as other relevant institutions and specialists, to gather all necessary information, data, and evidence concerning the operation of the flight,” the statement added.
NSIB said that the investigation aims to identify any safety deficiencies and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
It further stated that the objective of the investigation is to arrive at the cause of the incident, the factors that led to it, and to issue safety recommendations to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The Safety Investigation Bureau also vowed to provide updates as the investigation progresses.
According to NSIB, it is the multimodal transport agency charged with the mandate of promoting transport safety and conducting objective, thorough, and accurate investigations into transport accidents and incidents in Nigeria with the aim of identifying the probable causes and advocating for safety improvements based on its findings.
