A Max Air aircraft, owned by Katsina businessman Dahiru Mangal, experienced a tyre burst while landing at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Tuesday night, triggering panic among passengers.
Fortunately, all onboard, including crew members, were safely evacuated without serious injuries.
According to an airport source, the incident occurred at 10:57 p.m. when Flight VM1605, which had earlier taken off from Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos, touched down in Kano.
“The aircraft suffered a tyre burst on landing. Emergency response teams were immediately deployed, ensuring all passengers were safely evacuated,” the source confirmed.
Reports suggest that the nose landing gear tyre may have failed, contributing to the incident.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is expected to conduct a detailed investigation to establish the exact cause.
One of the passengers, Abdullahi Ibrahim, recounted the tense atmosphere inside the plane.
“As soon as we landed, there was a loud noise, and the aircraft shook violently. Some passengers started praying, but the crew reassured us that everything was under control. We’re just thankful for our safety,” he said.
Attempts to reach Max Air representatives for an official statement were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
However, aviation experts have emphasized that while such occurrences can be alarming, they are not uncommon in air travel.
Aviation analyst Kabiru Ali explained, “Tyre bursts can result from factors such as runway conditions, excessive wear, or impact during landing.
“The key takeaway here is that no lives were lost, and the crew managed the situation effectively.”
Meanwhile, airport authorities have resumed normal flight operations at Kano airport while efforts continue to remove the affected aircraft from the runway.