Bird strike forces Air Peace flight to abort takeoff at Abuja Airport

An Air Peace flight scheduled to depart from Abuja to Lagos early Thursday morning encountered a bird strike incident at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, causing an abrupt halt just as the aircraft prepared for takeoff.

The collision, which occurred shortly before liftoff, led the pilot to immediately abort the takeoff, sparking a moment of anxiety among passengers.

Lagos-based human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who was on board, shared his experience on Facebook, describing the palpable alarm inside the cabin. “The sudden stop created panic, and some passengers screamed,” Effiong wrote, capturing the distress that spread throughout the aircraft.

“While taxing on the runway and just before takeoff, our Air Peace flight from Abuja to Lagos scheduled for 6:30 AM today was stopped forcefully, resulting in panic and screams by some passengers.

“The captain attributed the incident to a bird strike. We have been deboarded to await either a replacement or repair of the aircraft.

“Thankfully, whatever happened did not occur after takeoff. It would have been scarier,” Effiong narrated.

About 30 minutes later, the lawyer took to the comment section of the same Facebook post to announce to friends and followers that the faulty aircraft had been replaced and the passengers were already boarding preparatory to the Lagos trip.

He, however, raised a question about whether there is a ‘bird detection radar tracking technology’ at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.