A Cessna 172 aircraft with registration number 5N-ASR, operated by Skypower Express, crashed at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo state on Tuesday evening, December 16.
The aircraft with four passengers and crew members onboard, had departed Kaduna International Airport en route to Port Harcourt International Airport before diverting to Owerri after the crew declared an emergency.
Confirming the incident, the Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, said the agency had been notified of the crash. According to the NSIB, the aircraft crashed on the approach area of Runway 17, but no fatalities have been recorded so far.
Also confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, Airport Command, Lagos, ASP Mohammed Adeola, said the aircraft sustained varying degrees of damage. He mentioned that four (4) crew members on board at the time of the occurrence and were successfully rescued. Adeola mentioned that while two of the crew members were in stable condition, the remaining two, who were initially unconscious, were immediately evacuated to the hospital where they are currently receiving medical attention.
