The Max Air Boeing 737 lost a tire from its nose landing gear while coming in for a landing on Tuesday night, as reported by several passengers. The tire blew out, causing the plane to skid to a stop on the runway.
Bello Ramadan, the Kano Max Air Manager, confirmed the incident but reassured that everyone on board was safe.
The management at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) stated that everything is back to normal after they evacuated the Max Air plane that had issues with its nose wheel landing gear and a rear tire burst during landing.
This information was shared in a statement from Mrs. Obiageli Orah, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which was released to the media in Kano.
She noted that “On January 28, 2024, at 10:50 LT, a Max Air Boeing 737, registration 5N-MBD, experienced a nose wheel landing gear collapse and a rear tire burst while landing on Runway 06/24 at MAKIA.”
It’s worth mentioning that the Max Air flight, with 59 individuals on board, narrowly avoided a serious accident due to the nose wheel landing gear failure and rear tire blowout during its landing.
The statement added: “There were 53 passengers and 6 crew members on the flight. Thankfully, no one was injured.”
Mrs. Orah highlighted that “Emergency services responded promptly, and the incident was managed according to the emergency response plan.”
The plane has been moved to Bay 5 for a closer look, and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is currently looking into what caused the incident.
Mrs. Orah pointed out that “The runway reopened at 08:00 hrs after a thorough cleaning, and regular flight operations have kicked back off.”
However, an anonymous source revealed that the incident occurred when the aircraft, carrying 53 passengers and 6 crew members, landed from Lagos.
According to this source, the front tire of the plane caught fire around 10:19 pm, which was confirmed by someone who was on board.
The management denied rumors that the Max Air aircraft crash-landed, insisting there’s no truth to that claim.
The source mentioned, “Immediately the tyre of the aircraft burst into flames, smoke enveloped the interior of the aircraft, and we had to alight through the emergency exit door.”
He also noted, “As we were coming out of the aircraft, the fire servicemen were already spraying the plane with water to contain the flames.”
Confirming the incident at the airport, Max Air's Kano Station Manager, Malam Bello Ramalan, stated that all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
He added, “I would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused and express my gratitude to God for the safety of everyone on board. Our primary concern is always the safety of our passengers and crew.”
Ramalan pointed out that “Our team adhered to standard procedures for handling a crash landing and overshooting the runway.”
He went on to say, “This includes quickly evacuating passengers, isolating the pilots, and working with investigation authorities.”
He mentioned, “We’re currently collaborating with the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Aircraft and Equipment Department (AED) to look into what happened. Initial reports suggest that a tire problem was the cause.”
Ramalan stressed that “At Max Air, safety is our highest priority, and we take every necessary step to ensure the safety of our passengers and crew. We will keep cooperating with the relevant authorities to find out what went wrong and make any needed adjustments.”
“Once again, I’m sorry for the trouble this has caused and I appreciate our passengers’ understanding and cooperation. We’ll do everything we can to get your luggage back to you as quickly as possible,” he added.