February 28, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released a preliminary report on how the cockpit crew of Flybird Aircraft Management Services Limited, a chartered air company based in Nigeria, reported losing both engines en route to Accra, Ghana.
The Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, who made the report public, stated that the aircraft, a Hawker 900XP with registration number 5N-KAL, had departed from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, for Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Accra, before the incident occurred.
The incident took place on 6th of December 2024, with four persons on board—three crew members and one passenger.
The full preliminary report, posted on the NSIB website, revealed that at 18:12:19h, the pilots declared an emergency for the second time, stating, “We have lost two engines.” At 18:13:01h, the aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 22 on short final.
The report further revealed that at 18:14:10h, Abuja Tower cleared 5N-KAL to land on Runway 22, with reported wind conditions described as calm.
According to the report, during the climb at Flight Level 260, the crew heard a loud bang from Engine Number Two, followed by a temperature increase and vibrations. Immediately after this, the crew reduced engine power and declared an emergency, requesting to return to Abuja.
The preliminary report stated that at 18:15:35h, the pilots informed Abuja Tower that they had lost both engines and needed to be towed, while the tower advised that an ambulance was stationed at Link Alpha 4.
The report added that during the post-occurrence interview, the flight crew stated that Engine Number One regained response to thrust commands after landing.
The report detailed: “At 17:51:13h, while climbing out of FL 260, the crew heard a loud bang from Engine Number Two. According to the flight crew, Engine Number Two’s temperature indication was increasing. After reducing the engine’s power to idle, the crew felt vibrations from the same engine.
“While descending, Engine Number Two experienced a second temperature spike, and the flight crew later observed that Engine Number One was unresponsive to thrust commands.”
The report stated that the flight was operated under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), with a fuel endurance of four hours and thirty minutes.
It also confirmed that all occupants disembarked the aircraft unhurt. The incident occurred at 17:51h during daylight and under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). There was no damage to the aircraft.
The report further emphasised that there was effective communication between the crew and the Air Traffic Control stations.
In its recommendations, the NSIB called for a detailed inspection of both engines to identify the fault(s) and the root causes of the failure and thrust anomaly. It also advocated for a review of the maintenance records of the engines.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
