An Air Peace flight from Abuja to Lagos was abruptly aborted at the point of takeoff early Thursday morning following a bird strike on the aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Lagos-based human rights lawyer and one of the passengers aboard the aircraft, Inibehe Effiong, took to his Facebook page to disclose the incident. He said the development threw some passengers into panic with attendant screaming.
“While taxing on the runway and just before takeoff, our Air Peace flight from Abuja to Lagos scheduled for 6:30 AM today was stopped forcefully, resulting in panic and screams by some passengers.
“The captain attributed the incident to a bird strike. We have been deboarded to await either a replacement or repair of the aircraft.
“Thankfully, whatever happened did not occur after takeoff. It would have been scarier,” Effiong narrated.
About 30 minutes later, the lawyer took to the comment section of the same Facebook post to announce to friends and followers that the faulty aircraft had been replaced and the passengers were already boarding preparatory to the Lagos trip.
He, however, raised a question about whether there is a ‘bird detection radar tracking technology’ at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
