Crash averted as Max Air aircraft's 4 tyres burst during take-off at Yola

A Max Air aircraft carrying 119 passengers and six crew members from Yola airport en route to Abuja had four of its tyres burst during take-off and taxiing off the runway.

In a statement by Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), she stated that on sunday evening, a Max Air’s flight NGL1649, a Boeing 737 with registration 5N-ADB, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members, was cleared for takeoff from Yola Airport en route to Abuja.

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She stated that during the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, identified as the bursting of the rear gear tyres.

According to Olawumi, initially, two tyres burst and while attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tyres also burst, rendering the aircraft completely disabled.

“Fortunately, no injuries were reported. A go-team, led by Alex Badeh, the NSIB Director General will visit the incident site tomorrow morning to conduct an investigation,” she added.

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.