Max Air has disclosed that flight NGL1649, a Boeing 737 registered as 5N-ADB, which encountered a significant malfunction during its takeoff at Yola Airport on the evening of Sunday, July 21, 2024 had no injuries.
The aircraft, which had 119 passengers and six crew members on board, was preparing to depart for Abuja when a loud bang was heard, attributed to the bursting of its rear gear tyres. Initial reports confirmed that two tyres burst during the takeoff roll.
The situation escalated as the remaining two tyres also burst while the crew attempted to taxi off the runway, resulting in the aircraft becoming completely immobilized.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) promptly announced that a go-team led by NSIB Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr. would visit the site to initiate an investigation early the following morning.
This incident raises concerns about Max Air’s safety track record, following a previous NSIB report in 2023 that implicated the airline for tampering with Cockpit Voice Recorder data after a serious incident during landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on May 7, 2023.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, emphasized the upcoming investigation’s significance and reaffirmed the commitment to passenger safety and compliance with aviation regulations.
In recent aviation-related incidents in Nigeria, including the crash-landing of a private jet carrying VIPs at Ibadan airport in January 2024 and the suspension of Mattini Airline Services Ltd’s license by NCAA, safety and regulatory adherence remain critical issues in the aviation sector.
