We Saw Hell, Says Arik Air Passenger

Arik’s-airplane

A passenger with Arik Air flight W3 596 who sat by the engine side of the aircraft when the plane suffered a bird strike yesterday has described as hellish the situation on board the plane before their emergency landing in Lagos State, South West Nigeria.

The election monitor with a Lagos-based NGO said that minutes after their plane, a boeing 737-700 aircraft, took off from Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria, there was a ‘big hit’ on the plane.

“After the big hit, the plane then started vibrating on the side of the engine that was hit. The vibrations lasted for between 4 to 5 minutes. It was hell, we thought we were about crashing.

“It was as if the plane had lost strength or balance on one side and we were about going down any time.

“I sat beside one woman and she was holding her seat tight even though her security belt was on. It was a real agony. The five minutes were like an entire day.

“There was silence on the plane and we could only find our voice after the emergency landing in Lagos. It was a terrible experience,” he said.

He disclosed that he had gone to monitor the supplementary election in Imo State in which Ikedi Ohakim was sacked by the voters.

He was among the 69 passengers on board the aircraft that escaped death.

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After the incident, Arik Air issued a statement, explaining that it was a bird strike.

Arik said that the averted tragedy led to “the shutdown of Engine 2 by the flight commander who piloted the aircraft to Lagos and then declared an emergency landing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja.

“The aircraft landed safely with no injury to the 69 passengers on board,” the airline said.

Speaking on the incident, Arik Air Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue, praised the operating crew of the aircraft for displaying a high sense of professionalism and called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to intensify the fight against bird menace at the nationâ€s airports.

“Bird strike hampers the safety of passengers and aviation agencies should make concerted efforts to eradicate this menace.

“The cost implication of bird strike to airlines is enormous and operators need every possible assistance from airport authorities,” Ndulue said.

The terrifying incident was Arik Airâ€s fourth bird strike this year.

—Simon Ateba

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