Simisola Ajibola, the captain who operated the Air Peace flight on July 23, 2019, which had nose wheel collapse on landing at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on Saturday, July 27, 2019, debunked reports saying the aircraft landed without tyres.
She said the incident happened after the aircraft touched the ground, adding that there was no way she could have gone on air without tyres.
According to Ajibola : “We had a very serviceable aircraft. Our aircraft are machines that are well maintained. It wasn’t the first flight of that day. When we flew the aircraft it was perfectly in good shape.
“The report about initial landing without tyres is not true. The incident happened after we touched down. I didn’t go into the air without tyres, we weren’t on a decent without tyres. Some reports say we called for emergency while in the air and that is not true. It was after we landed we asked for emergency services. So whatever happened, happened on the runway that day,” Ajibola added.
However, Tunji Oketunbi, the corporate communications manager of the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, said the bureau has begun investigation into the issue and will come up with preliminary reports soon.
“It is a cumbersome process. Some components have been retrieved from the airline to help with the investigation. So it will take some time but we are doing everything possible to ensure the report is out sooner than expected,” Oketunbi added.
