The Federal government has announced plans to conduct a full-scale investigation into the averted plane crash involving Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke and his aides.
Recall that Adeleke had on September 4 planned to fly from Lagos to Abuja on his elder brother, Deji Adeleke’s private jet operated by Pacific Energy Company Limited at the Lagos airport.
The pilot, however, had to call it off after discovering a fault in the engine a minute just as it began taxing.
In a statement on Sunday, the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu, said the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, received with concern reports of an aborted take-off of the jet.
Nuhu said, while expressing relief that the incident ended without any harm, Keyamo assured that the outcome of the NCAA’s investigation and recommendations will be implemented.
The statement reads: “The Aviation Minister, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, received with concern reports of an aborted take-off of a Bombardier Global Express 605 jet operated by Pacific Energy Company Limited at the Lagos airport on September 4th 2023.
“The aircraft was carrying Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and his team on a scheduled flight to Abuja.
“Once alerted, the Honourable Minister contacted the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and was briefed accordingly. A mandatory report was submitted on 6th September 2023 in accordance with Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
“The operator submitted the report through the new web-based National Aviation Safety Reporting System, SMS Pro, deployed by the NCAA in collaboration with the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in compliance with the provisions of ICAO mandated State Safety Programme and the Civil Aviation Act 2022. A full-blown investigation of the incident has since commenced.
“While expressing relief that the incident ended without any harm, the Honourable Minister assured that the outcome of NCAA’s investigation and recommendations will be implemented in line with Nig. CARS and global best practices.
“NCAA assures the travelling public that it will double its efforts in collaboration with NSIB to maintain and improve upon the high safety aviation standards set in the country over the past decade.
“The Honourable Minister has, on several occasions, stated that the safety of the aviation industry is the number one objective of his administration.”
