The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched a safety investigation into a runway overrun incident involving an Enugu Air Embraer E170 aircraft at the Benin Airport (BNI) on Thursday afternoon.
The aircraft, operating as Flight 4264 with registration mark 5N-ENR, departed Lagos (LOS) and experienced a runway excursion after overrunning the end of Runway 05 upon landing at approximately 3:10 PM local time (1410 UTC).
The Bureau confirmed that 68 persons, comprising 63 passengers and five crew members, were on board the flight. All occupants were safely evacuated without any recorded injuries or casualties.
In an official statement signed by Funke Adebayo-Arowojobe, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, the Bureau disclosed that its specialised “Go Team” was deployed to the occurrence site within minutes of receiving official notification.
Investigation teams are currently securing and preserving digital and physical evidence, interviewing the flight crew and ground handling personnel, assessing runway conditions, and analysing technical flight data records to determine the primary and contributing factors behind the overrun.
Commenting on the incident, Alex Badeh, the Director General of the NSIB, emphasised that while the safety of the occupants is reassuring, runway excursions remain critical safety events requiring rigorous inquiry.
“We are relieved that all passengers and crew members are safe and that no injuries were reported. While this is reassuring, every runway excursion is a serious occurrence that deserves a thorough and independent investigation,” Badeh stated.
“Our Go Team was on the ground within minutes of notification… We urge the public to refrain from speculation as our investigators carry out their work in accordance with international standards.”
The NSIB confirmed that both the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have been duly notified, with the aircraft formally cordoned off and secured on the ground.
In line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 guidelines and national regulations, the NSIB will issue a preliminary investigation report within 30 days, to be followed by a comprehensive final report containing actionable safety recommendations for airline operators and airport managers.
The incident is expected to cause temporary operational adjustments across Enugu Air’s domestic flight schedule as technical and safety assessments continue.
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