The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has confirmed a serious aviation accident involving a private aircraft at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, December 16, leaving all four occupants injured.
The aircraft, a Cessna 172 with registration number 5N-ASR, is operated by Skypower Express. It was originally on a flight from Kaduna to Port Harcourt when the crew encountered an undisclosed in-flight emergency. The pilots declared a distress call and diverted to Owerri as the nearest suitable landing site.
The crash occurred at approximately 8:00 PM during the final approach to Runway 17. According to eyewitnesses and airport officials, the plane crash-landed and somersaulted before coming to a halt.
Despite the aircraft somersaulting upon, the NSIB reported no fatalities were recorded, due to the absence of post-crash fire. All four people on board were successfully evacuated from the wreckage.
Dawn Herald gathered that, flight operations at the Owerri airport were not suspended, because the wreckage was located off the primary landing strip. The runway remained active, and other aircraft continued to take off and land safely.
Director-General Captain Alex Badeh Jr. stated that the bureau has activated full investigation protocols to determine if the crash was caused by mechanical failure, fuel issues, or pilot error.
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