No fewer than four people on board a Cessna 172 light aircraft operated by Skypower Express narrowly escaped death after the plane crashed near the approach to Runway 17 at Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Owerri, Imo State.
The victims are currently receiving treatment at a medical facility following the crash, which occurred at about 8:00 p.m. local time after the crew declared an in-flight emergency.
The aircraft, bearing registration mark 5N-ASR, had originally departed Kaduna International Airport for Port Harcourt International Airport before diverting to Owerri due to the emergency.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) disclosed that there was no post-crash fire and that flight operations at the airport were not disrupted, as other aircraft continued take-offs and landings after the incident.
In a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs, Bimbo Oladeji, the agency said efforts were underway to recover the aircraft from the crash site for further investigation.
NSIB Director-General, Alex Badeh, said the bureau had activated its investigation protocols in line with its statutory mandate and was coordinating with relevant airport and security authorities to secure the area.
“We express our deepest sympathies to the management of Skypower Express and are glad that no fatalities have been reported so far. The NSIB has activated its protocols, and our team is already coordinating with authorities to secure the site,” he said.
The NSIB assured the public that additional updates on the progress of the investigation would be released as more information becomes available.
