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BREAKING: Obasanjo, 393 Others Escape Crash On Ethiopian Airlines - Edoman - 05-29-2019
BREAKING: Obasanjo, 393 Others Escape Crash On Ethiopian Airlines
Other prominent Nigerians were also aboard the flight.
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BY SAHARA REPORTERSMAY 29, 2019
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Olusegun Obasanjo, former Nigerian president and other Nigerians escaped death on Wednesday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport when an Ethiopian Airlines plane almost crashed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other prominent Nigerians in the Ethiopian airline passenger aircraft, Boeing 777-300, included the Director General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni.
Also in the plane was Prof Samson Tunde Adebayo, the Director of Ports Inspection, National Agency For Food And Drug Administration And Control (NAFDAC) as well as scores of Nigerians and other nationals.
The passenger aircraft, ET-901, had departed the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, at about 9:10 a.m., Ethiopian time; 7 a.m Nigerian time.
A NAN correspondent, who was among the passengers, recalled that the almost 5-hour flight from the Ethiopian capital to Lagos had been smooth until the pilot attempted to land at the Murtala Mohammed International airport.
Rather than landing on the first touchline of the runway, the pilot over short it, due to rain and heavy wind, landing on the third touchline.
NAN reports that, on realising this, the pilot quickly manouvered the plane back air, flying out of the Lagos airport.
After hovering around between Lagos and areas suspected to be in Ogun, causing panic in passengers and crew members, the plane landed in Lagos airport, some 20 minutes after the initial false landing.
The atmosphere in the airbus upon landing was replica of what is obtainable in some Nigerian worship centers, as many passengers broke out into worship songs and clapping, while some fell to their knees in prayer.
The duty manager and Chief Customer Service (Nigeria) of the airline, Mr Otori Jimoh Otan, told NAN that if the pilot had continued taxing down after landing on the third touchline, he would have overshot the runway.
“But this is an experienced pilot. He realised this immediately.
“Fortunately, the distance between when he realised the situation still permitted him to take off and renegotiate landing,” Otori said.
Obasanjo and Olukanni had both attended a Stakeholders Dialogue on Continental Trade and Strengthening Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which ended on Tuesday in Addis Ababa.
RE: BREAKING: Obasanjo, 393 Others Escape Crash On Ethiopian Airlines - Edoman - 05-30-2019
Obasanjo recounts his experience in the Ethiopian Airline aircraft that had difficulties with landing
![[Image: Olusegun-Obasanjo.jpg]](https://251826-782785-1-raikfcquaxqncofqfm.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Olusegun-Obasanjo.jpg)
An Ethiopian Airlines aircraft experienced difficulties while attempting to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, but there was no threat to the lives of its over 393 passengers, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The former president was returning from a conference in Addis Ababa when the Ethiopian Airlines plane he boarded found it difficult to land at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos due to wind interference and rainfall.
Speaking in an interview with Premiumtimes, the former president said he remained calm when the pilot was facing difficulties landing at the Lagos airport.
Quote:''I was on Ethiopian Airline. Rain just came down heavily. The pilot thought he could land. And he landed. He touched down. But I think he took a swift decision that he had to take off again. So he took off. If he did not, I think he probably would have overrun the runway. He then apologised and said he would try to land again. He tried again, and we landed safely. And we all clapped. He touched the ground. Then he took off and apologised and landed again at about 12.30. We spent just about 10 minutes in the air before we landed again.
While it all happened, I was reading my papers. One man, who was next to me, said, ‘Oga you no worry?’ I said, ‘Íf I worry, what will I do? If you are on a plane and you have a situation like this, why should you worry?’ I left everything in the hands of God'' he said
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