Lives have been saved as a United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 256 people onboard makes an emergency landing on Thursday at the Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos state.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner which was bound for Dulles International Airport in Washington DC, took off from Airport in Lagos at 11:59 pm. Sadly, the aircraft experienced technical difficulties in mid air, and declared an emergency.
Reports show that the flight experienced in-jolt, and videos from the passengers on board showed the inside of the plane in total chaos as food trays and objects were thrown around on the floor. Carrying 245 passengers and 11 crew members, the aircraft lost altitude suddenly, prompting the pilot to transmit the transponder code 7700 and announce an emergence return to the Lagos airport.
By 03:22 am, the Boeing 787-8 returned to Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos state, and landed safely with wounded passengers and crew members. While 27 passengers and 5 crew members were slightly injured, four passengers and two crew members suffered more serious injuries and had to be taken to the hospital along with the mildly injured 32 members on board.
While the cause of the in-jolt and sudden descent in mid-air is unclear, the United Airlines confirmed it was not severe turbulence, but will be working to provide the public and affected individuals with the cause of the issue. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) along with FAAN has begun investigation into the matter and will provide updates as soon as it is available.
The injured passengers and crew members have all been attended to, with the mildly injured people being treated and discharged while the more serious cases were stabilized and transferred to another hospital in Ikeja. A few passengers were taken to a hotel and accommodated after the ordeal.
