A Dana Air plane on Tuesday night skidded-off the runway while landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in Rivers State, as passengers were evacuated by Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) emergency officials who attributed the incident to a downpour accompanied by a strong wind and storm.
A statement by FAAN General Manager (Corporate Affairs) Mrs Henrietta Yakubu said: “A Dana aircraft numbered 9J0363 flying from Abuja to Port Harcourt airport has overshot the Port Harcourt runway.
“The incident was suspected to have been caused by a heavy rain, which was accompanied by strong wind and storm in Port Harcourt. No casualty was recorded, as all passengers on board were safely evacuated.”
Corporate Communications Manager of Dana Air, Kingsley Ezenwa Okwudili in a statement, attributed bad weather occasioned by torrential rain
”On Tuesday , 20 February 2018, one our aircraft (9j0363) operating the Abuja- Ph flight skidded off the runway at the Port Harcourt International Airport, as a result of the bad weather situation and torrential rain at the time of landing. No casualty was recorded and all passengers and crew disembarked safely.
“We commend the Pilot-in -command who was able to control the aircraft to a complete stop, before passengers and crew disembarked. We also wish to applaud the Captain for exhibiting the highest safety standards and handling the situation professionally. ”
There were 49 passengers on board.