Pilot aborts Lagos-bound flight over fire alarm

A Lagos-bound Air Peace plane returned to Port Harcourt International Airport some minutes after takeoff on Saturday.

Sam Adurogboye, general manager, public relations, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed the incident to NAN in an interview.

Adurogboye said an alarm was raised about fire in the cabin, forcing the pilot to make the air return.

“The flight crew did the right thing by returning to base to check the situation,” he said.

Adurogboye added that the aircraft did not crash-land, explaining that there was no panic because the pilot briefed the passengers before landing safely.

“Air return is a precautionary flight safety procedure that must be adopted in the event of a snag,” he said. “The pilot acted according to Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs).”

He also reiterated the NCAA’s commitment to safety of Nigeria’s aviation sector.

According to NAN, another aircraft was later provided to convey the passengers to Lagos.