The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has begun a formal inquiry into an aviation incident at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State that left passengers shaken but uninjured on Sunday morning. The incident involved a Hawker 800XP aircraft, registered as 5N-ISB and operated by Flybird Aircraft Management Services Limited, which suffered a landing gear failure on arrival from Abuja.
The jet departed Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as a non-scheduled domestic passenger flight at approximately 09.20 local time with eight people on board, including two cockpit crew, one cabin crew member and five passengers.
According to the NSIB, the flight crew reported an anomaly with the landing gear indicator during the approach into Kano. In response, the pilots carried out several low passes over the runway to allow air traffic controllers to visually confirm the position of the gear. On each pass, controllers at Kano Tower confirmed that all three landing gears appeared fully extended.
The aircraft was subsequently cleared to land on Runway 06 at around 10.34 hours, but as it touched down and began to decelerate, the nose landing gear collapsed. Despite the sudden failure, the crew brought the aircraft to a stop in a controlled manner. Everyone on board disembarked safely and no injuries were reported.
In a statement, the NSIB said it had activated its “Go-Team” to begin a thorough investigation. The team will examine the aircraft’s systems, operational procedures, maintenance records and the actions of the flight crew to establish the sequence of events that led to the collapse of the nose gear. The bureau emphasised that the investigation is aimed at identifying safety issues and preventing similar occurrences in future, rather than apportioning blame or liability.
Flybird’s corporate communications department confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe, and said the flight crew followed all established safety procedures. The company said it would cooperate fully with aviation authorities as the investigation continues.
The NSIB inquiry echoes a broader focus on aviation safety in Nigeria, where regulatory bodies continue to prioritise in-depth reviews of incidents to improve standards and reassure the public. Details from the ongoing investigation are expected to be released as they become available.
