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One hundred and nineteen passengers and six crew members aboard a Max Air aircraft narrowly escaped death when the aircraft experienced a major tyre burst during takeoff from Yola Airport en route to Abuja on Sunday evening.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 with registration 5N-ADB and flight number NGL1649, had four of its tyres burst during the takeoff roll and subsequent taxiing off the runway.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, in a statement released by Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, it’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, reported that the incident occurred as the aircraft was cleared for takeoff.
During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, later identified as the bursting of the rear gear tyres.
According to the statement: “This evening, Max Air’s flight NGL1649, a Boeing 737 with registration 5N-ADB, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members, was cleared for takeoff from Yola Airport en route to Abuja.
“During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, identified as the bursting of the rear gear tyres. Initially, two tyres burst. While attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tyres also burst, rendering the aircraft completely disabled.
“Fortunately, no injuries were reported. A go-team, led by NSIB Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr., will visit the incident site tomorrow morning to conduct an investigation.”
Similarly in 2023, a report by the NSIB indicted the airline for overwriting the Cockpit Voice Recorder of the serious incident which occurred on May 7, 2023, on landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The report also accused the airline of feigning ignorance of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s All Operators Letter (NCAA/FSG/AOL/19/03) in respect of continuous overwriting of CVR information.
This was after an aircraft belonging to the same airline departed Abuja for Yola as NGL1648.
The NSIB report said that the aircraft was on the ground in Yola for about 30 minutes before the turnaround for Abuja.
It was, however, gathered that after takeoff, the landing gear was left extended for three minutes to allow cooling due to the high temperature on the ground in Yola Airport.
But at 2:08 p.m., Nigerian Air Force personnel from the Air Force Hangar close to runway 35, reported to Yola Control Tower that an object “appearing like a tyre fell off from the departing NGL1649.”
