Arik air

By Our Correspondents
A major accident was averted Saturday at the Jos airport in Plateau State when the wing of  Arik Air Boeing 73=700 with registration number 5NMJI hit the wing of Nigeria Air Force C=130 aircraft which was parked, causing second degree damage to both aeroplanes.
The Arik Air flight had several number of passengers on board and was taxing to take off to Lagos while the Air Force aircraft was waiting to board and airlift students of the Air Force Military School and Air Force Girls Military School both in Jos and was waiting for them to move from school to the airport when the incident occurred.

According to a statement released by the Nigerian Air Force on the incident and signed by Wing Commander A. Makun, Deputy Director, Directorate of Airforce , “ An Arik Airline Boeing 737-700 with registration No 5NMJI on a routine flight to Lagos brushed the wing of a parked Nigerian Air Force C-130 (NAF 917) at the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Heipang Jos.

“The incident happened at about 1345hrs today (yesterday)  when the Arik aircraft was taxiing 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 NAF C-130 was in Jos to airlift students of the Air Force Military School and Air Force Girls Military School. Meanwhile, a joint investigation by the Nigerian Air Force and Arik Air management has commenced”.

The Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, confirmed the incident.