In a harrowing incident on Sunday evening, July 21, 2024, Max Air’s flight NGL1649, a Boeing 737 with registration 5N-ADB, experienced a critical malfunction during its takeoff roll at Yola Airport. The aircraft, destined for Abuja, was carrying 119 passengers and six crew members when disaster struck.
As the plane commenced its takeoff, a loud bang reverberated through the airfield, later identified as the bursting of the aircraft’s rear gear tyres. Initial assessments revealed that two tyres burst during the takeoff roll, and the situation escalated when the remaining two tyres also burst as the crew attempted to taxi off the runway. This sequence of events rendered the aircraft completely immobilised on the runway.
In a statement from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), it was confirmed that no injuries were reported in the incident. The Director General of NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., announced that a go-team would be dispatched to Yola Airport to investigate the incident thoroughly.
“This incident underscores the need for rigorous adherence to safety protocols,” said Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection. “Our commitment to passenger safety and regulatory compliance remains unwavering.”
This latest incident adds to a growing list of concerns regarding Max Air’s safety record. In 2023, the airline was implicated by the NSIB for overwriting Cockpit Voice Recorder data following a serious landing incident at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on May 7, 2023.
The aviation community is closely monitoring these developments, particularly in light of other recent aviation incidents. Earlier this year, on January 26, 2024, a private jet carrying several VIPs crash-landed and overshot the runway at Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
In another safety-related move, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended the operating license of Mattini Airline Services Ltd pending the outcome of an investigation into a runway excursion involving a Challenger CL 601 aircraft.
In a related transport safety concern, Nairametrics reported in May that the NSIB commenced an investigation into a train derailment on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor at Jeremy Station. Despite the derailment, all passengers safely reached their destinations. The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) assured the public of their commitment to high safety standards and reliable services, deploying engineers to the site to prevent future incidents.
As the investigation into Max Air’s latest incident unfolds, the aviation sector remains under scrutiny, with regulatory bodies striving to uphold stringent safety measures to ensure the wellbeing of all passengers.