A passenger aircraft belonging to Overland Airways, which left Ibadan for Abuja on Monday, had to abandon the journey around Minna, Niger State and make a detour to Lagos for emergency landing, after its windshield was broken. The plane, which left Ibadan around 8am, had on board a former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr. Lanre Ogundipe, an officer in the Accountant-General of the Federation’s office, Mr. Demola Akinlabi, and 55 others.
Ogundipe, who spoke to our correspondent from Abuja on the incident, said the aircraft was in good condition before the windshield broke, adding that a major tragedy was miraculously averted. “We started well but midway around Minna in Niger State, the pilot made a detour to Lagos, which was strange. We later got to know that the windshield broke and the flight could not continue for long,” he said.
Ogundipe added that the passangers had to be evacuated and put in another aircraft, which arrived Abuja in the afternoon. However, the Managing Director, Overland Airways, Capt. Edward Boyo, told our correspondent that what happened was not a major incident but a logical discretion by the pilot to rectify a faulty pane.
May God save us from these Aviation mishaps o! Thank God for giving the pilot the wisdom to make the detour back to Lagos!