By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
Clarifying some controversial information recently raised regarding the 5N-BZZ Flight, one of Air Sierra Leone’s proposed regional aircraft, the Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernoh Bah has clarified to the general public that the plane in question was not involved in any crash but was involved in an incident called ‘runway excursion’.
The Information Minister made this confirmation at the recent government press briefing held on Tuesday, 12th November 2024, at the Ministry of Energy. The clarification was in direct response to some recent investigations unearthed about the flight and to also strengthen public confidence regarding the safety of the said flight.
According to the Government Minister of Information and Civic Education, the 5N-BZZ Flight was indeed operating for a company in Nigeria called XeJet Airline, where it was involved in an incident technically referred to as a runway excursion. “This means while the plane was trying to either land or take off, it moved off from the runway lane and slippery entered the mud,” Minister C.Bah simplified.
The Information Minister furthered that after this incident, the Nigeria Safety Investigation conducted an investigation and concluded that it was a runway excursion and not a crash, that no death or injury was recorded, that the aircraft survived with no damage, and that it had performed and passed all its safety certifications for operation.
Further clarifying what exactly led to the runway excursion incident based on the investigation done by Nigeria Safety, Information Minister C.Bah read out that it was due to the deflation of the left tire of the aircraft, leading to the aircraft’s slippery slide off the runway into the mud. The investigation also ascertained that it was no fault of the pilot, though there was cloudy weather.
In conclusion, the Information and Civic Education Minister conveyed that the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority would like to assure the people of Sierra Leone and all other future passengers of the 5N-BZZ aircraft to be operated by Air Sierra Leone that the aircraft in question had completed all its schedules maintenance checks by the South African authorities and all its air wordiness inspection by the Nigerian authorities. He added that a team from Sierra Leone had also been to Nigeria for another special aircraft inspection and confirmed its safety and all other particulars.
The Minister of Information and Civic Education thanked the journalist and other citizens who unearthed and raised concerns about the aircraft’s safety. He urged the citizens and journalists to feel free to raise concerns about any critical topic, assuring them that his Ministry would always be there for prompt clarifications.