An Arik Air Boeing 737-7GL aircraft, registration 5N-MJF, operating a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt, experienced an mid-flight engine fault on Wednesday but diverted safely to Benin Airport.
This was disclosed by Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau NSIB in a statement released by Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance.
Oladeji claims that during the cruise phase, the flight crew saw unusual indicators on one of the engines.
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The crew performed a precautionary engine shutdown and diverted to the closest appropriate airfield in accordance with routine safety procedures, the statement continued.
Additionally, the Bureau confirmed that the aircraft landed without incident, and all passengers and crew disembarked normally. No injuries have been reported.
“Preliminary observations at Benin Airport suggest significant damage to the affected engine, based on an initial visual assessment. In line with its statutory mandate and international standards under ICAO Annex 13, the NSIB said it has commenced an investigation.
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“The assessment team is en route to Benin to secure the aircraft, document evidence, interview relevant personnel and witnesses, and recover flight data and cockpit voice recorder information,” the statement said.
The Bureau disclosed that it is working closely with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Arik Air, and other stakeholders to determine the sequence of events and any contributing factors.
The rising number of airline crashes worldwide has alarmed aviation industry stakeholders, who are demanding better safety protocols to reduce jet crashes.
The National Transportation Safety Board reports that there have been 1,091 aviation mishaps in 2025 thus far. Eighty-one of these accidents were non-fatal, while 200 were deemed deadly. Of these, 891 were non-fatal accidents and 200 were deemed deadly.
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