Panic as a plane carrying Sowore and others suffers a malfunction, with the windshield shattering on landing in Abuja airport.
On Monday, as the Air Peace Embraer ERJ 145 touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, its windshield broke, sending passengers into a state of terror.
The incident, which happened during the landing, worried both travelers and workers at the airport.
Omoyele Sowore, a human rights advocate, was allegedly one of the travelers aboard the aircraft. Funmi, one of the witnesses, called the encounter terrifying and voiced her dissatisfaction with the airline for delaying its explanation of the broken glass.
Attempts to obtain remarks from officials proved fruitless. Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Bimbo Olajide stated that although the NSIB is in charge of looking into accidents, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) might be in charge of this particular occurrence.
The development is categorized as an event rather than a significant incident or accident, despite the fact that the NSIB is supposed to look into accidents and serious incidents. This is under the NCAA’s jurisdiction.
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The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, assured our reporter over the phone that he would speak with his staff and get back to her, but he never did until it was time to hit the publish button.
When our correspondent questioned Oluwatoyin Olajide, the Chief Operating Officer of the impacted airline, about what happened that caused the windshield to break, he angrily replied that there was no risk to the safety of the people on the flight.
When Olajide learned that it was believed that the development had caused panic among the people on the flight, he became irate and disregarded our correspondent’s call earlier.
“What panic for the flying public?” she shot back. Could you confirm what you just said? Why do you constantly release bad news about yourself so quickly?
“Where were you during the four days that British Airways (BA) was grounded in Lagos due to engine problems? Why wasn’t this released? Not trying to start an argument, but I was simply curious where you got the incorrect news.
“Neither the passenger’s safety nor ours was in danger due to a broken screen. What occurred was a typical hiccup, and the appropriate safety precautions were taken. Our first concern is the security of our passengers and equipment.
The development was confirmed to our correspondent by an airline source who wishes to remain anonymous to avoid violating internal protocols. The insider added that the aircraft has been temporarily placed into service to minimize any risks. On the other hand, contrary to what was stated, the windshield merely cracked.
