Forty-nine passengers escaped death on Tuesday after a Dana Air plane travelling from Abuja overshot the runway of the Port Harcourt Airport.
The passengers were evacuated from a bush by the airline which blamed inclement weather for the incident.
— Dana Airlines Ltd. (@DanaAir) February 20, 2018
General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Henrietta Yakubu, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Lagos.
“A Dana aircraft flight 9J0363, flying from Abuja to Port Harcourt airport, has overshot the Port Harcourt runway.
“The incident was suspected to have been caused by a heavy rain, which was accompanied by strong wind and storm in Port Harcourt.
“No casualty was recorded, as all passengers on board were safely evacuated,” Mrs Yakubu said.
General Manager, Public Relations, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, also confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said the aircraft was partially damaged after it overshot the runway.
“I learnt the runway has been closed but it will be reopened before the next 30 minutes after inspection has been carried out on it.
“Forty-nine passengers were on board and safely evacuated. The aircraft came in from Abuja to Port Harcourt,” Mr Adurogboye said.
The airline which experienced a crash in 2012 killing 153 passengers in a Lagos suburb recently had one of the exit doors of an aircraft fall off upon landing in Abuja.
