July 13, 2008
A passenger plane run by a Nigerian carrier overshot the runway while landing Monday in Nigeria's southeastern oil town of Port Harcourt, a police spokeswoman said. No casualties were reported.
The Boeing 737 — owned by Chanchangi Airlines — missed the landing strip at Port Harcourt International Airport and skidded to a halt in a nearby field, Rivers state police spokeswoman Rita Inoma-Abbey said.
Airport Manager Godknows Ugwuzor described it as a "minor incident that involved no loss of life."
"The plane overshot the runway, but damage was not extensive and most importantly there was no fire," he said.
The flight had been carrying 47 passengers and crew from the Nigerian capital of Lagos, about 270 miles (430 kilometers) away, Inoma-Abbey said. She said it landed at 5:44 p.m. (1844GMT) Monday.
An airport official said, however, there were 30 passengers on the plane and none was seriously hurt, though two people were treated for minor injuries at the airport. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with media, also said there was no structural damage to the aircraft.
Nigeria has a history of air disasters. Hundreds of people were killed in four major crashes in 2005 and 2006. While authorities have vowed to regulate the aviation sector, analysts say reform is hampered by the country's endemic corruption.
Culled from International Herald Tribune
The Boeing 737 — owned by Chanchangi Airlines — missed the landing strip at Port Harcourt International Airport and skidded to a halt in a nearby field, Rivers state police spokeswoman Rita Inoma-Abbey said.
Airport Manager Godknows Ugwuzor described it as a "minor incident that involved no loss of life."
"The plane overshot the runway, but damage was not extensive and most importantly there was no fire," he said.
The flight had been carrying 47 passengers and crew from the Nigerian capital of Lagos, about 270 miles (430 kilometers) away, Inoma-Abbey said. She said it landed at 5:44 p.m. (1844GMT) Monday.
An airport official said, however, there were 30 passengers on the plane and none was seriously hurt, though two people were treated for minor injuries at the airport. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with media, also said there was no structural damage to the aircraft.
Nigeria has a history of air disasters. Hundreds of people were killed in four major crashes in 2005 and 2006. While authorities have vowed to regulate the aviation sector, analysts say reform is hampered by the country's endemic corruption.
Culled from International Herald Tribune
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