By Ken Afor
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released its report on the Dana Air incident that occurred at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on April 23, 2024, where a Boeing 737 aircraft belonging to the airline operator skidded off the runway during landing.
The bureau attributed the incident to a malfunction of the Nose Landing Gear.
According to the report on the account of the aircraft Captain, “the landing was soft. During the Landing Roll, the Captain deployed Speed Brakes, after which Thrust Reversers were deployed, and the nose of the aircraft was lowered.”
However, trouble arose when “severe vibration was accompanied by a loud noise from the NLG (nose landing gear) area,” the report added.
“Upon reaching 80 knots, the Captain noticed the collapse of the nose gear, resulting in a loss of directional control.”
The report added: “The aircraft then veered off to the left and exited the runway at about 2,094 m from the threshold. It continued on the grass verge, crossed the paved Link 6, and stopped at about 2,343 m from the threshold, about 36 m from the runway centreline.
“Upon the final stop of the aircraft, the Captain shut down the engines and commanded evacuation through the Forward Service Door due to safety concerns on the Main Entry Door side.
“The Cabin Crew opened the Forward Service Door, and the Escape Slide was deployed. All occupants evacuated without any injury. N – BKI 3.”
It would be recalled that hours after the incident, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), ordered an immediate suspension of operation of the Dana Airline, citing concerns surrounding the safety and financial viability of their operations.
The airline had been involved in several unwanted situations like this. Six months ago, a Dana Air plane reportedly had an engine issue just before take-off from the Lagos airport.
However, the airline operator denied an explosion had occurred, stating instead that the aircraft had faced “some operational challenges” requiring “non-scheduled maintenance.”
Additionally, in July 2022, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended Dana Air due to numerous regulatory violations.
The authority said it suspended the operating licenses of the company after “discovering that the airline is no longer in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations.”
The New Diplomat reports that in light of an ongoing operational audit by regulatory authorities, Dana Air has has let go of certain employees.
The Head of Corporate Communications for the airline, Kingsley Ezen, disclosed the development in a statement on Saturday, May 15.
Dana Air stated that the audit is a joint effort between the company and regulatory authorities, to ensure strict adherence to all required standards and regulations.
“In light of the ongoing audit, Dana Air has made the decision to temporarily disengage some staff members pending the conclusion of the audit,” Ezenwa said, without giving the number of staff affected.
“The Management of Dana Air extends its sincere appreciation to all staff members for their resilience and dedication during this period of uncertainty.
“It recognises the difficulties that staff have had to endure and assures them that every effort is being made to resolve the situation promptly.
“Dana Air therefore urges for calm and understanding from our very dedicated staff for their altruism and stakeholders,” the airline said.
The statement reiterated Dana Air’s dedication to working closely with the authorities in order to facilitate a seamless and prompt resolution of the audit, assuring that it would continue to provide updates and assistance to its staff during this process.
Dana Air also has initiated discussions with lessors and is actively involving stakeholders in the ongoing progress, the airline said.
