Take-off aborted as tyres of aircraft carrying 50 passengers catch fire at Port Harcourt airport

About 50 passengers were rescued when fire gutted the tyres of an aircraft operated by Dana Airlines in Port Harcourt.

The incident occurred at the Port Harcourt airport on Monday.

The plane was scheduled to take off from Port Harcourt to Lagos state.

According to a statement from the management, the pilot of the plane noticed an anomaly which he registered with air traffic control (ATC) before embarking on a ramp return.

The management said the aborted take off impacted on the brakes which in turn affected the aircraft tyres, causing a spark off while the aircraft was taxiing back to base.

“Our aircraft with registration number 5N JOY operating flight 9J 344 from Port Harcourt to Lagos on 2nd of May 2022, was set to take off when the pilot in command noticed an anomaly which he queried with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) before embarking on a ramp return in line with our strict safety operating procedures,” the management said.

“However, the impact on the brakes as a result of the aborted take off affected the aircraft tyres which sparked off while the aircraft was taxiing back to base.

“All 50 passengers onboard the aircraft disembarked safely and our maintenance team have immediately grounded the aircraft pending the conclusion of their investigations.

“Once again, we sincerely apologize to all the passengers on the flight for the inconveniences caused due to the eventual cancellation of the flight.

“At Dana Air, the safety of our passengers and crew will remain a top priority in all aspect of our operations and we will continue to operate in accordance with the civil aviation regulations and global best practices.”