No fewer than 68 passengers escaped unhurt on Thursday after an Enugu Air aircraft skidded off the runway while landing at the Benin Airport in Edo State during a heavy downpour.
The aircraft, with registration number 5N-ENR, was operating an Enugu–Benin–Lagos commercial flight when the incident occurred at about 4:00 p.m., triggering panic among passengers and airport officials.
Airport sources said the aircraft overshot the runway after landing and veered into a nearby bush, sparking fears that it had crashed.
However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority dispelled the reports, clarifying that the incident was a runway excursion caused by adverse weather conditions and not an air crash.
The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the aircraft landed safely before skidding off the runway due to the heavy rainfall.
“The aircraft landed safely but skidded off the runway due to the adverse weather conditions,” Achimugu said.
He added that all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated without injuries or fatalities.
An airport official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft encountered difficulties while landing, alleging that its tyres came off during the landing process.
The source, however, dismissed claims that the aircraft crash-landed, insisting that it merely skidded off the runway.
Another airport source said officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria responded immediately to the incident.
“FAAN immediately swung into action, and all the passengers were evacuated. No casualty was recorded,” the source said.
The source confirmed that there were 68 passengers on board the aircraft but could not immediately verify the number of crew members.
A video circulating on social media showed passengers calmly disembarking from the aircraft after it came to rest in a swampy area beside the runway.
The incident initially generated anxiety among travellers and aviation stakeholders before the NCAA issued a clarification that the aircraft had landed safely and only veered off the runway because of the adverse weather.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria were unsuccessful.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku, could not be reached for comments, while the General Manager, Public Affairs at the Benin Airport, Francis Oluseyi, declined to comment, saying he was not disposed to speak on the incident at the time.
The exact cause of the runway excursion had yet to be officially determined as of press time, although aviation authorities are expected to investigate the incident.
The development comes amid heightened concerns over flight operations during the rainy season, when reduced visibility and waterlogged runways pose significant operational challenges for pilots and airport authorities.
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