(Click on link to see a pic as well)
All 95 passengers on board an Arik Air aircraft headed en route Abuja from Calabar, yesterday, found themselves in a mad rush as they scrambled to get off the aircraft when a car crashed into the plane shortly before takeoff at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar.
A rickety salon car, painted blue and white, the official colour pattern of registered taxis in Calabar, ran into the aircraft just as the aircraft doors were being shut, a passenger told NEXT.
A man, who claimed that he is Jesus Christ, emerged from the car after the collision and declared that he had made the desperate move to save the aircraft from an impending crash.
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By: Expressflight - 12th April 2010 at 08:12
The aircraft involved in this incident, 5N-MJJ, was actually ferried on 8 April to SEN for the repairs to be carried out, according to the SEN spotters forum. Apparently it is due a ‘C’ Check in the near future so presumably the two jobs will be combined.
By: Selsport69 - 11th April 2010 at 16:35
Okay as I am in Nigeria just now, I check on this story and it is true. Below is the information from Arik’s website.
Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest commercial airline today announced that the Boeing 737-700(New Generation) aircraft damaged by a taxi on the tarmac of Margaret Ekpo Airport, Calabar on Wednesday will be sent to Germany for thorough investigation.
According to Arik Air Acting Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue, the aircraft, which belly was damaged by the taxi, is back safely at the airline’s hangar in Lagos after the Lufthansa Technic engineers had carried out ferry repairs on it in Calabar.
Mr. Ndulue elaborated: “We are now in the process of preparing the aircraft for the longer flight to Germany where Boeing and Lufthansa engineers will carry out a thorough check and repairs to determine the extent of damages. The engineers are expected to carry out a NDT tests on the aircraft and certify the aircraft on completion of the repairs.”
He said it was through providence and the high specification of Arik Air’s aircraft that the incident was not more serious. On the length of repairs of the aircraft in Germany, Mr. Ndulue said it is expected that the aircraft will be out of service for approximately 30 days.
He thanked all the people that identified with the airline over the incident and called on the Nigerian government to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of lives and equipment at the airports.
By: steve rowell - 3rd April 2010 at 00:48
A man, who claimed that he is Jesus Christ,
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Was he a ‘short swarthy’ fella??:D
By: Red Hunter - 1st April 2010 at 12:41
Ah, ha – then you probably have the advantage of us.;)
By: Bmused55 - 1st April 2010 at 12:39
The pic in the article looks real to me. I “alter” images all the time and can’t see anything suspect in the picture.
Even once got myself into Airliner World for an Easyjet April Fools 🙂
By: Red Hunter - 1st April 2010 at 12:32
Perhaps they were a few hours ahead of us………….sounds pretty suspect to me, but then, as they say, “truth is often stranger than fiction”.:)
By: Bmused55 - 1st April 2010 at 12:00
I saw this on another forum yesterday evening, I don’t think this is an april fools.
By: Flightmech - 1st April 2010 at 11:31
and todays date is?:D
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April 1, 2010 at 10:58 am