A passenger aboard the Enugu Air flight that skidded off the runway at Benin Airport on Thursday has shared what happened before the incident, saying the aircraft kept circling in the air as the pilot searched for a place to land.
The passenger, rapper and content creator Chinedu, popularly known as Triple Pin, shared his experience in a video posted on his Instagram page after the incident.
He said he had only seen plane crashes in movies and on social media until he experienced the incident himself.
“This is how these big dreams would have gone. Our plane crashed today.
“I used to see things like this in movies and on social media. I thought it was limited to that.”
Recalling what happened before the aircraft left the runway, Triple Pin said heavy rainfall made it difficult to see outside the plane.
“The whole window was blurry because rain was falling. I was wondering how the pilot was able to continue despite the weather.”
According to him, the aircraft circled several times before attempting to land.
“When we got to our destination and it was time to land, the pilot was rotating in the air, looking for where to land.
“He kept rotating, and that was how he lost control and moved towards the bush. All of a sudden, all I heard was noise. Everybody was in panic.”
Triple Pin said he was grateful the aircraft did not catch fire after it skidded off the runway.
“The reason our plane didn’t catch fire was because rain was falling. That is how I would have died.
“That is how these big dreams would have been unfulfilled.
“I came out with no injury.”
Meanwhile, Chronicle NG earlier reported that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has opened an investigation into the incident involving an Enugu Air Embraer E170 aircraft at Benin Airport, Edo State.
The bureau said the aircraft, operating as Flight 4264 with registration 5N-ENR from Lagos to Benin, overran the end of Runway 05 during landing at about 3:10 p.m. on Thursday.
According to the NSIB, there were 63 passengers and five crew members on board, all of whom were safely evacuated without injuries.
“The aircraft, operating as Flight 4264 (registration 5N-ENR) from Lagos to Benin, was involved in a runway excursion after overrunning the end of Runway 05 during landing at approximately 1510 hours local time,” the bureau said.
The NSIB said its Go Team arrived at the scene shortly after the incident to gather evidence, interview the crew, examine the aircraft and assess the runway as part of its investigation.
The Director-General of the NSIB, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr., said it was a relief that everyone on board was safe, but noted that every runway excursion must be thoroughly investigated.
“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.”
Enugu Air also confirmed the incident, describing it as a runway excursion involving one of its Embraer regional jets.
The airline said all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated without injuries and added that some flight schedules could be adjusted while investigations continue.
The incident comes exactly one year after the airline began operations in July 2025.
The airline commenced operations after Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu state, partnered with XE Jet, an existing airline, to fast-track the process of obtaining an air operator certificate (AOC), which “typically takes up to two years”, according to Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development.
Keyamo said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) also approved the partnership, allowing Enugu Air to commence operations without delay.
