Passengers escape death as another aircraft skids off runway in Port Harcourt

The aircraft, with 62 passengers and five flight crew members on board, skidded off runaway due to “algae on taxiway”, the airline said.

Ahmed Oluwasanjo • November 14, 2023

Image used to illustrate the story(Credit: X)

Air Passengers escaped death after a Valuejet aircraft skidded off the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport on Tuesday, causing panic in the airport.

The aircraft, with 62 passengers and five flight crew members on board, skidded off runaway due to “algae on taxiway”, the airline said in a statement.

“The CRJ 900 Bombardier aircraft with registration 5N-BXR landed safely with passengers wondering what could have happened because the airplane landed safely without difficulty,” the statement read.

“The minor incident happened at about 3.30 pm at the Port-Harcourt International Airport. Captain Stanley Balami reported that the aircraft encountered a slip due to algae on the taxiway, which made it unable to maintain the centre line,” it added.

This comes barely three days after an Aero Contractors aircraft skidded off the runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday morning.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has begun investigating the cause of the incident in Abuja, urging the public to assist with evidence.

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.