By Matthew Denis
Two pilot of the International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, yesterday, cheated death after a trainee aircraft belonging to college crashed landed at Ilorin airport runway.
The Diamond plane No.5N BNH with two pilots onboard crashed landed at exactly 11:05am without any casualty.
Staff of the IAC including the Rector, Engr. Benedict Adeyileke and some of airport workers were noticed by our reporter while trying to evacuate the aircraft from the runway in order to have the airspace re-opened for flight operations.
The aircraft was however towed with a vehicle to the Aviation College before the airspace was reopened around 4:00pm for flight operations.
A reliable source who craved anonymity alleged that the aircraft might be experiencing a gear problem considering the fact that the back tyres refused to pullout when the pilot was trying to land on the runway.
However, when contacted on the telephone yesterday, the Airspace Manager of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) at the airport, Engr. Balogun Abiodun declined comment on the incident saying he was not authorised to speak on such issue as a civil servant.
Also when this medium contacted the Rector of the college, Engr. Adeyileke at the scene of the incident and later on the telephone, he also refused to speak on the issue.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed who was said to be returning from a trip to Abuja was delayed for about three hours as a result of the incident.
The Governor who had his convoy stationed at the airport around 2:22pm waiting for his arrival however arrived at the Ilorin Airport around 5:35pm accompanied by his wife, Deaconess Omolewa Ahmed in a chartered aircraft.
Similarly, Arik Air, one of the commercial airlines at the airport landed around 5:45pm, yesterday.
