A Max Air aircraft carrying 119 passengers and six crew members experienced multiple tyre bursts during takeoff from Yola Airport, according to a statement from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The incident occurred on Sunday evening when the Boeing 737, flight NGL1649 with registration 5N-ADB, was cleared for takeoff en route to Abuja. During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, identified as the bursting of the rear gear tyres. Initially, two tyres burst, and while attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tyres also burst, rendering the aircraft immobile. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Bimbo Oladeji, confirmed the incident and stated that a team led by NSIB Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr. will investigate the site on Monday morning.
In a related report from 2023, the NSIB had previously indicted Max Air for overwriting the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) following a serious incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The airline was also accused of ignoring a directive from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority regarding the continuous overwriting of CVR information.
The previous incident involved an aircraft that had departed Abuja for Yola as flight NGL1648 and returned as NGL1649. After takeoff from Yola, the landing gear was left extended for three minutes to allow for cooling due to high ground temperatures. At 2:08 p.m., Nigerian Air Force personnel reported to Yola Control Tower that an object resembling a tyre had fallen from the departing aircraft.
