The pilot of an Air Peace flight aborted landing at the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri on Wednesday after it was discovered that cows had invaded the tarmac.
Lawyer, author and activist, Richard Akinnola, who was on the flight, recounted his experience in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“What could have been an air disaster was averted yesterday evening due to the dexterity of the pilot,” he began.
“I was in a plane, going to somewhere in the east of the country. The plane was about to land, approaching the tarmac, the landing gears had already pushed out the tyres…suddenly, the pilot aborted the landing and the plane went up again.
“Then, the pilot came on to announce that he aborted the landing because of herds of cows on the tarmac.
“We had to hover around for about additional ten minutes or so, to enable the tarmac to be cleared.”
General Manager, Public Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Henrrietta Yakubu, told Vanguard on phone that she had not been briefed on the incident.
The newspaper said efforts to get the reaction of the Public Relations Manager of Air Peace proved abortive.
An investigation was launched by the Federal Government in 2005 after a plane ran into a herd of cows at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The Air France plane, with 196 people on board, ploughed into the cows as it touched down.
No-one on board was hurt, but the collision left seven cows dead and the return flight to Paris was cancelled.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has in the past raise alarm over the intrusion of cows, goats and rams at Nigerian airports.
