Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Scores of passengers, Sunday afternoon, cheated death as a Max Air aircraft conveying them from Adamawa State crash-landed upon getting to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The incident caused panic at the airport.
According to an eye witness, the tyre of the aircraft reportedly burst into flames.
However, the situation was put under control as the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Service operators at the airport were swiftly deployed to the scene.
Former President of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr Mike Ogirima, who gave an account of the incident to Daily Trust, was quoted as saying that the tyre burst occurred after takeoff at Yola Airport.
However, the aircraft crash-landed in Abuja with emergency officials already on the ground to put off the fire before the passengers disembarked right at the runway.
Ogirima said, “We thank God. We are still on the runway and the pilot has reassured us. He has called for the stairs and we are now disembarking from the runway to be evacuated to the airport building at the arrival hall.
“We bless God because we have witnessed the pull out of the tyre right from the airport in Yola and we went into a prayer session.
“I never announced it as a surgeon so as not to cause any panic but we bless God,” he added.
