A Max Air aircraft narrowly avoided disaster on Sunday evening when it lost six tyres while attempting to take off from Yola Airport in Adamawa state, en route to Abuja. The incident involved a Boeing 737, registered as 5N-ADB, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members.
The Director of Public and Consumer Protection for Max Air, Bimbo Oladeji, issued a statement detailing the harrowing event. "This evening, Max Air’s flight NGL1649, a Boeing 737 with registration 5N-ADB, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members, was cleared for takeoff from Yola Airport en route to Abuja,” Oladeji explained.
During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, identified as the bursting of the rear gear tyres. Initially, two tyres burst, and as the plane attempted to taxi off the runway, the remaining tyres also burst, rendering the aircraft immobile.
Remarkably, there were no injuries reported among the passengers and crew. “Fortunately, no injuries were reported. A go-team, led by NSIB Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr., will visit the incident site tomorrow morning to conduct an investigation,” Oladeji confirmed.
An investigation is set to begin promptly to determine the cause of the tyre failures and to ensure the safety of future flights.
