A light aircraft has crash-landed at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State, leaving four people hospitalised and triggering an official aviation safety investigation. The incident occurred on Tuesday and involved a Cessna 172 aircraft operated by Skypower Express.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed that the aircraft, registered as 5N-ASR, somersaulted after an emergency landing at the airport. All four occupants on board were rescued alive and are currently receiving medical treatment.
According to the NSIB, the aircraft had departed Kaduna International Airport en route to Port Harcourt International Airport when the flight crew declared an emergency midair. The pilots subsequently diverted the aircraft to Owerri as a precautionary measure.
Details of the incident were disclosed in a statement signed by the NSIB Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji. She said emergency response services at the airport were immediately activated and reached the scene without delay.
“There was no post-crash fire, and flight operations were not disrupted,” Oladeji said, noting that the runway remained operational and other aircraft continued to take off safely after the incident.
She added that arrangements were ongoing to recover and relocate the damaged aircraft from the crash site, allowing investigators to carry out a full technical assessment of the wreckage.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., confirmed that a formal investigation had commenced. Expressing relief that no lives were lost, he assured that further updates would be provided as investigators work with relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident.
