New Telegraph

AIB begins Middle East, Turkish airlines’ collision probe

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said it has commenced investigation into a serious incident involving an Airbus A330-243 with the registration marks ODMEA operated by Middle East Airline and a Boeing 777 with registration marks TC-LJC operated by Turkish Airline.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, July 29 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Spokesman for the agency, Tunji Oketunbi, in a statement, said the Turkish cargo aircraft was parked at the international apron when the Middle East airbus was taxing before it ran into it, cutting through the tail cone and damaged part of the right horizontal stabilizer of the Turkish aircraft. All passengers on the Middle East Airline, he stated, had to disembark with no injury or fatality.

He said the bureau would appreciate that the general public and press do not pre-empt the cause of the serious incident until a formal report is issued. This type of incident is a common occurrence at the Lagos airport. In July 2015, flight from Lagos to Dubai had to be aborted after the aircraft made contact with another plane parked on the runway. The incident occurred when Emirates flight EK782 was taxiing down the runway when the wing of the aircraft made contact with a parked HAK Air plane at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

Few weeks after that, two airplanes belonging to First Nation Airways were also involved in ground collision. One of the aircraft was taxiing from the runway to MMA2, to disengage passengers while the other aircraft was preparing to take off to Port Harcourt Airport from the same terminal. It was alleged that the pilot may have been misdirected by the marshals who directed the pilot to taxi to the wrong part of the apron. Following the incident, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), immediately, grounded both aircraft while passengers were asked to disembark by the airline.

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