A UNITED Airlines flight, a Boeing 787-8 outbound from Lagos to Washington Dulles, on Thursday, declared an emergency mid-air, forcing the captain to make a compulsory return to Lagos.
Having established a return track to Lagos, this newspaper gathered that the aircraft crew maintained the emergency transponder code 7700 (Emergency signal) with the control tower till it landed.
The aircraft, initially bound for Washington Dulles International Airport with registered N27903, is an over 13-year-old widebody aircraft belonging to the US carrier United Airlines.
It had 245 passengers, eighty flight attendants, and three pilots on board.
Many of those on board reportedly sustained injuries.
Videos and pictures from the distressed passengers in the aircraft sent to our correspondent showed that food and passengers’ luggage were scattered, littering the aircraft owing to the shaky nature of the flight.
The real cause of the pandemonium is yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report but the passengers are of the opinion that it was an engine-related issue.
However, only the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau can ascertain the real cause of such incidents.
When contacted, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Micheal Achimugu, confirmed the development, saying the passengers have been lodged into a hotel as stipulated by the regulatory act.
“Yes, it is true, and no problems, the passengers have been lodged into a hotel as stipulated by the NCAA Act,” he said.
The airline also confirmed the development in a terse statement, attributing it to “a technical issue.”
“Flight UA613 from Lagos to Washington D.C. returned to Lagos to address a technical issue.
“After landing safely, the aircraft was met by first responders to address reports of minor injuries to several passengers and crew,” the statement read.