Accra-bound passengers disembark Air Peace aircraft damaged by handing equipment

Over 150 passengers were forced to disembark from Air Peace Lagos-Accra flight P47750 on Thursday when a conveyor belt equipment collided with one of the engines of the aircraft as it was about to take off.

The flight was operated by the airline’s brand new Embraer E195-E2 with registration number 5N-BYH and with the damage, the aircraft was grounded.

The grounding of the aircraft scheduled to operate eight additional flights led to delays, as the airline sought for replacement in the high season when every airworthy aircraft is in tight rotation.

BusinessDay’s findings show that with the aircraft out of service this peak period would adversely affect the airline.

“The aircraft is grounded. This is one of the brand new Embraer E195-E2. Last time the cowling (engine cover) was hit by a bird, it cost us $3.5 million to replace. Besides the cost, passengers who had already boarded had to disembark. All nine flights scheduled on this aircraft were disrupted today. Innocent passengers will not understand what we go through in the hands of the ground handlers whose conduct showed a lack of training and the inability to effectively manage their equipment,” a source had disclosed.

Related News

An eye witness account disclosed that the operator of the equipment failed to follow standard procedures, which is to switch off the equipment after the passengers had boarded the flight and baggage loading was completed.

He also failed to deploy a shock (stopper) on the equipment to stop it from rolling. So, the equipment rolled forward and hit the aircraft, damaging its cowling.

The duty manager of the handing company, who strove to stop the equipment from rolling, was injured in the process.

“Many of our aircraft and those of other airlines have been damaged by handing companies who may not be adequately training their equipment operators,” the source said.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.