A Max Air aircraft carrying 119 passengers and six crew members was grounded at Yola Airport after all four rear gear tyres burst during takeoff on Sunday night.
The incident occurred shortly after the plane was cleared for takeoff.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Bimbo Oladeji, confirmed the incident in a statement to PUNCH Online at 11:22 PM. Oladeji stated that there were no injuries or fatalities.
“This evening, Max Air’s flight NGL1649, a Boeing 737 with registration 5N-ADB, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members, was cleared for takeoff from Yola Airport en route to Abuja,” the statement read.
“During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, identified as the bursting of the rear gear tyres. Initially, two tyres burst. While attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tyres also burst, rendering the aircraft completely disabled. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. A go-team, led by NSIB Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr., will visit the incident site tomorrow morning to conduct an investigation.”
This incident follows a similar event in 2023, where the NSIB report accused Max Air of overwriting the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) after a serious incident on May 7, 2023, during landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The report also noted that the airline ignored the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) directive regarding CVR information.
On the day of the 2023 incident, the same Max Air aircraft had departed Abuja for Yola as flight NGL1648.
After landing in Yola, it was on the ground for about 30 minutes before its return flight to Abuja.
Following takeoff, the landing gear was left extended for three minutes to cool due to high ground temperatures at Yola Airport.
At 2:08 PM, Nigerian Air Force personnel from a nearby hangar reported to Yola Control Tower that an object resembling a tyre had fallen off the departing NGL1649.
