Four individuals escaped unharmed after a Cessna 172 aircraft, operated by Skypower Express, crash-landed at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State, on Tuesday evening.
The incident occurred around 6:58 p.m. as the aircraft was approaching Runway 17. The plane, registered as 5N-ASR, was en route from Kaduna International Airport to Port Harcourt International Airport when the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Owerri.
According to Bimbo Oladeji, the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), airport emergency services were quickly deployed to the scene upon receiving the distress alert, successfully rescuing all occupants without any post-crash fire.
The agency confirmed that flight operations at the airport remained uninterrupted, with the runway operational following the incident.
All four crew members aboard were reported as survivors; two were in stable condition while the other two, initially unconscious, were evacuated to a hospital for medical attention.
The NSIB has initiated a formal investigation to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and will provide further updates as information becomes available. Plans are being made to recover the aircraft for a detailed wreckage examination.
Captain Alex Badeh Jr., Director-General of the NSIB, expressed relief that there were no fatalities in the incident and extended sympathies to the airline.
