Commercial jetliner rams Nigerian Air Force plane in tarmac accident

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A commercial jetliner preparing to take off from the Jos Airport in northern Nigeria rammed into a packed military plane Saturday, causing substantial damage to the two planes even as no one was injured, the local media reported Sunday, quoting a statement from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

The report said the Boeing 737-700 aircraft operated by the local Arik Air rammed into a C-130 transport plane that was to airlift students of the Air Force Military School.

“The incident happened at about 1345hrs today (Saturday) when the Arik aircraft was taxing at the airport tarmac in preparation for take-off. The tank 1 wing tip of the NAF C-130 was damaged while the wing of the Arik aircraft was dismembered and hung on the NAF aircraft.

“There was no casualty recorded during the incident. However, the two aircraft had to abort their missions,'' the statement said, adding that a joint investigation by the NAF and Arik Airline management has commenced.

The incident will further heighten fears about aviation safety in Africa's most populous nation, which is still reeling from the effects of the 3 June horrific air crash that left 159 dead, when a passenger plane crashed into residential buildings on the outskirts of the commercial city of Lagos.

A preliminary report of the investigations into the crash said it was caused by the failure of the two engines of the McDonnell Douglas plane that was on a routine domestic flight from the capital city of Abuja.
-0- PANA SEG 15July2012