KABO AIRLINE with 512 Passenger in near crash..... Barely 24 hours after Associated Airlines plane crashed in Lagos airport on Thursday, killing 13 people, another major air disaster was averted on Friday night when a Kabo Airline Boeing 747 plane carrying 512 pilgrims landed on airport equipment at Sokoto Airport. Sources at Sokoto Airport said the jumbo aircraft, while trying to land on the runway, knocked and damaged the airport’s Instrument Landing System equipment. The development came when the nation is still mourning the victims of the Associated Airlines’ Embraer 120 plane crash involving the remains of a former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu. The Saudi Arabi-bound jumbo plane, which took off from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, was to have a stop-over in Sokoto to carry additional pilgrims when the incident happened. As a result, the 512 Mecca-bound pilgrims were stranded in Sokoto. As at Saturday evening, the pilgrims were still on Sokoto. A statement from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria confirmed the incident and said the plane damaged the airports ILS. The statement by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Dati, however, said the aircraft landed safely in Sokoto airport. Dati said, “A Boeing 747-3 aircraft with Reg 5N- JRM, operated by Kabo airlines arrived safely with all passengers and crew on board, following a landing incident at the Sokoto airport at 2100 GMT. The aircraft, which departed from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano was en route Saudi Arabia when it had a stop-over at the Sokoto airport for passenger pickup.” “Preliminary reports indicate that the control tower gave the pilot clearance to land on Runway 08 but the captain, opted to use Runway 26, for reasons yet to be ascertained. The 512 souls on board, comprising 494 passengers and 18 crew members landed safely. The aircraft, however, damaged some Instruments Landing System (ILS) and came to a stop with deflated tyres.” The FAAN boss said the emergency response apparatus acted swiftly to secure all souls on board and the aircraft. “The airline has since made arrangements for another aircraft to pick the passengers to complete their journey to Saudi Arabia,” Dati added.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Oct 2013 18:11:04 +0000
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