The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into a United Airlines flight from Lagos, Nigeria to Washington D.C. that experienced a sudden movement, resulting in injuries to passengers and cabin crew.
The incident occurred on United Flight 613, a Boeing 787 aircraft, while flying over Ivory Coast airspace.
At the request of Ivorian aviation officials, the NTSB will lead the investigation and release a preliminary report within 30 days, Reuters reports.
United Airlines reported that Flight 613, carrying 245 passengers, three pilots, and eight flight attendants from Lagos to Washington Dulles, returned to Lagos due to an unexpected aircraft movement and technical issue. The plane landed safely, and four passengers and two flight attendants received medical attention for minor injuries at a local hospital before being discharged.
“We are working with aviation authorities in the U.S. and Nigeria to understand the cause,” United said.
The Bureau Newspapers reported on Friday that a United Airlines Boeing 787-8, bound for the US, was forced to make an emergency return to Lagos after experiencing a technical malfunction, resulting in several passengers being injured.
The 13-year-old plane, which took off from Lagos, was headed to the United States when it encountered technical difficulties, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing at Lagos airport.
A video obtained by SaharaReporters filmed by one of the passengers confirmed this incident. The video also shows luggage scattered around and littering the interior of the aircraft.
One of the passengers said the plane landed safely, but several passengers were injured during the emergency landing.
The passenger wrote: “Please thank God for me. Last night we had a harrowing experience on United flight from Lagos to Washington, DC. The plane was spiraling out of control, lost its navigational and other tools.
“We had gone past Abidjan, and were initially to make an emergency landing in Ghana but the plane later regained all lost tools and we were able to come back to Lagos with some people injured including some crew members.
“When we landed, we had to wait for medical personnel who took forever to come to the plane. We have no value for human life in this country and therefore are never prepared for emergencies.
“Having survived a plane with major technical issues, surviving the Almighty Nigerian attitude seemed a bigger threat. May God heal this country. We were housed in a hotel near the airport.
“I am still traumatised like many other passengers. I was able to get this video from one of the passengers. Flight has been cancelled due to a technical issue. Please thank God for all of us who survived this near death experience. Shared as received.”
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Micheal Achimugu, revealed that the passengers had been accommodated in a hotel as stipulated by the NCAA Act.
Micheal Achimugu added that there were no fatal casualties.
United Airlines attributed the incident to “a technical issue” in a statement.
“Flight UA613 from Lagos to Washington D.C. returned to Lagos to address a technical issue.
“After landing safely, the aircraft was met by first responders to address reports of minor injuries to several passengers and crew,” the statement read.
