An Arik Air Boeing 737-700 aircraft operating Lagos to Port Harcourt flight on Wednesday made an emergency landing at the Benin airport after the crew “heard a loud bang from the left engine.”
Confirming the incident in a statement, Arik Air said the aircraft, operating flight W3-740 with registration 5N-MJF, was descending into Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, when the incident occurred and as a precautionary measure, the flight crew diverted to Benin.
“There were no injuries to passengers and crew as all 80 passengers on board were safely disembarked. Arrangements have been made to transport the affected passengers to their final destination,” Arik Air said, even as it apologised for the disruption.
Confirming the incident in a statement by the Director of public affairs and family assistance, Bimbo Oladeji, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) described it as an in-flight engine anomaly, explaining that the crew detected abnormal engine indications during the flight and conducted a precautionary engine shutdown in line with established safety procedures before diverting to Benin airport.
“The aircraft landed without incident, and all passengers and crew disembarked normally. No injuries have been reported,” Oladeji said.
She said the NSIB is working with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Arik Air, and other stakeholders to determine the sequence of events and contributing factors.
