Yesterday, on August 1, 2023, an aircraft accident occurred around Oba Akran, Ikeja, Lagos state.
What happened?
A single-engine aircraft (Jabiru J430) with the registration number “5NCCQ AJ4-30” crashed into the road in front of the United Bank of Africa, Oba Akran branch, and burst into flames. This happened around 3 p.m.
Four people—two crew members and two passengers—were aboard the Air First Hospitality & Tours-operated aircraft, which was departing from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, on a test flight.
However, no lives were lost as the aircraft was being closely followed by an escort vehicle, which arrived at the accident scene on time and provided first aid.
What caused the accident?
According to the air control tower, the aircraft’s unintentional collision with a light pole while attempting an emergency landing was what caused the accident.
How did the government respond?
Around 4 p.m., a Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) team arrived at the scene to transfer the injured passengers to a hospital. The area was sealed off to prevent a secondary accident.
Other emergency responders that arrived at the scene were the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). The NSIB is solely responsible for investigating aircraft accidents and incidents in Nigeria, and they already released a statement soliciting information like videos and pictures to aid their investigation.
We’ve seen this before
An accident similar to this happened three years ago, on August 28, 2020, but sadly, this time, the three people on board all lost their lives.
Source: BBC
The aircraft involved in the accident was a Bell 206 helicopter with the registration number’ 5N BQW,’ belonging to Quorum Aviation. The helicopter was on a flight from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, before it crashed into a residential building in Opebi, Lagos State.
Eventually, reports from the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) showed that the pilot’s disregard for best practices and the lack of fuel were to blame for the accident.
