A Max Air plane owned by Katsina-born businessman Dahiru Mangal experienced a tyre burst while landing at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Tuesday night, causing brief panic among passengers.
Fortunately, all passengers and crew were safely evacuated without any major injuries.
An airport source confirmed that the incident occurred at 10:57 pm when Flight VM1605, which had earlier departed from Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos, touched down in Kano.
“The aircraft suffered a tyre burst upon landing. Emergency response teams were immediately activated, and all passengers were safely evacuated,” the source said.
Reports suggest that the aircraft may have lost its nose landing gear tyre, which may have triggered the incident. However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is expected to launch a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the tyre failure.
One of the passengers, Abdullahi Ibrahim, described the experience as tense. “As soon as we landed, there was a loud sound, and the plane shook violently. Some passengers started praying, but the crew reassured us that everything was under control. We’re just grateful to be safe,” Ibrahim said.
Efforts to reach Max Air for an official statement were unsuccessful at the time of this report. However, aviation experts have pointed out that tyre bursts, though alarming, are not uncommon in the industry.
Aviation analyst Kabiru Ali explained, “Tyre bursts can occur due to several factors, such as runway conditions, tyre wear, or the forces involved during landing. The key takeaway is that no lives were lost, and the crew managed the situation effectively.”
Normal flight operations have since resumed at Kano airport, with authorities working to clear the affected aircraft from the runway.
