|By Adejumo Adekunle
An Arik Air flight travelling from Lagos to Port Harcourt diverted to Benin City on Wednesday after the crew detected an unusual engine occurrence during descent.
The Boeing 737-700 aircraft, operating as flight W3-740 with registration number 5N-MJF, was approaching the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, when pilots noticed abnormal noise and irregular indications from the left engine.
Arik Air said the flight crew promptly initiated safety protocols and diverted the aircraft to Benin Airport as a precaution. The airline confirmed that all 80 passengers and crew members landed safely and disembarked without injuries.
“Alternative arrangements have been made to convey passengers to Port Harcourt,” the airline said, while apologising for the disruption and reiterating that passenger safety remains its top priority.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed the incident, describing it as an in-flight engine anomaly. The bureau’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, disclosed that the crew shut down the affected engine mid-flight in line with standard safety procedures before diverting.
“The aircraft landed safely without further complications, and all occupants disembarked normally,” Oladeji said.
She revealed that a preliminary visual inspection conducted in Benin showed substantial damage to the affected engine. Consequently, the NSIB has opened a formal investigation in accordance with its statutory mandate and international aviation safety standards under ICAO Annex 13.
Oladeji added that an investigation team is en route to Benin to secure the aircraft, gather evidence, interview crew members and witnesses, and retrieve both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.
The bureau is also working with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Arik Air, and other stakeholders to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify contributing factors.
“A preliminary report will be issued within 30 days, while a final report will follow after the investigation is concluded,” she said, urging members of the public with relevant information to contact the bureau through its official channels.
