The Enugu Air Chief Executive Officer, Captain Tolu Ita, has revealed, the collapse of both main landing gears on Enugu Air’s Embraer E170 after it overshot the runway at Benin Airport could have ignited a devastating post-crash fire if sparks had reached the aircraft’s fuel tanks.
Speaking in an interview on TVC News @10pm Saturday, Captain Ita said the July 23 runway excursion could easily have ended in tragedy after one of the collapsed landing gears reportedly punctured the wing section housing fuel.
She, however, described the survival of all 68 occupants without injury as “the hand of God,” while crediting the professionalism of the flight crew and the soft grassy terrain beyond the runway for preventing a far worse outcome.
“A lot of things could have happened. Based on the reports available to us, the two main landing gears collapsed and one of them actually collapsed into the wing carrying fuel. All it would have taken was a spark,” she said.
The airline boss explained that because the aircraft came to rest on soft grass instead of a hard surface, the risk of sparks igniting fuel may have been significantly reduced.
“The grass probably prevented sparks. The fuel was there, and what you need is just a spark. That is my personal opinion, not an official report, but whatever happened, we’re grateful to God.”
Captain Ita was quick to emphasise that the comments were not intended to pre-empt the findings of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), which has already commenced a formal investigation into the occurrence.
According to her, the flight had followed a normal approach and touchdown, with the crew deploying the aircraft’s braking system and reverse thrust after landing.
Despite those actions, the aircraft failed to stop within the available runway, overran the runway and came to rest in a grassy area beyond the airfield.
“From all the accounts we have received from the crew, it was a normal landing profile. The brakes and reverse thrust were deployed, but the aircraft exhausted the runway and ended up in the bush.”
Captain Ita praised the crew for their calm and professional handling of the emergency, saying passengers were evacuated within moments using the aircraft’s emergency slides.
“One of our biggest assets is our people. They are highly trained and well-seasoned professionals. They carried out a textbook emergency evacuation because they are always prepared for situations like this.”
She disclosed that Enugu Air has completed its mandatory internal investigation and will submit its preliminary report to the NSIB, while engineers continue working with investigators to recover and analyse the aircraft’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders.
“We cannot make any official conclusions until the NSIB completes its investigation. The black boxes will provide the flight data and cockpit conversations that will help determine exactly what happened.”
Responding to concerns over the airline’s safety record, Captain Ita insisted the runway excursion was an isolated event and should not define the carrier.
Since receiving its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in March and commencing commercial operations days later, he said Enugu Air has successfully operated more than 3,500 flights.
“One flight out of over 3,500 flights is not enough to define an airline. Even some of the world’s leading airlines have experienced runway excursions. What matters is the lessons you learn and the improvements you make afterwards.”
As part of immediate corrective measures, the airline has reinforced wet-weather landing procedures for all pilots, reminding flight crews to strictly comply with documented techniques for operations on rain-soaked runways.
“When there is precipitation, there are different landing procedures. We immediately reminded all our pilots to ensure firm tyre contact with the runway to minimise the risk of hydroplaning.”
Captain Ita maintained that safety remains the foundation of Enugu Air’s operations, adding that the airline has thrown its books open to regulators and investigators.
“Our records are open because safety is the bedrock of everything we do. We will continue to support the investigation in every possible way.”
She also expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their confidence in the airline, revealing that passenger demand has remained strong despite the incident.
“We are grateful to Nigerians. Surprisingly, our load factor is increasing. People are still booking and supporting the airline, and we sincerely thank them for that confidence.”
The NSIB is expected to release a preliminary report within 30 days of the runway excursion, while a final report containing the probable cause and safety recommendations will be issued after the investigation is concluded.