A Dana Airline aircraft with registration number 5N JOY operating flight 9J 344 from Port Harcourt to Lagos caught fire during takeoff yesterday night around 9:00 p.m. 2nd of May 2022 as it was about to take off from Port Harcourt International Airport.
The aircraft was set to take off when the pilot in command noticed an anomaly which he queried with the Air Traffic Control before embarking on a ramp return in line with strict safety operating procedures,
However, the impact on the brakes as a result of the aborted takeoff affected the aircraft tyres which sparked off while the aircraft was taxiing to repark.
All 50 passengers on board the aircraft disembarked safely as Dana maintenance team immediately grounded the aircraft pending the conclusion of their investigations.
Dana apologizes to all the passengers on the flight for the inconveniences caused due to the eventual cancellation of the flight.
The Nigerian civil airspace has maintained a relatively safe record for about a decade now which has increased passengers’ confidence in air travel.
The last air crash in the country involving a commercial airplane was in June 2012 when a Dana Air MD-83 aircraft from Abuja crashed near the Lagos airport while attempting an emergency landing, killing all 153 souls on board and six on the ground.
Dana Air said the safety of their passengers and crew will remain a top priority in all aspects of their operations and that they will continue to operate in accordance with the civil aviation regulations and global best practices.