Osubi Airport Denies Air Peace Bird Strike Claim, Says Incident Occurred Elsewhere

By Staff Writer

The management of Osubi Airport in Warri, Delta State, has dismissed claims that an Air Peace aircraft suffered a bird strike while landing at the airport, insisting that preliminary investigations show the incident did not occur within the aerodrome.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued on June 5 by the Manager of Osubi Airstrip, Mr. Winston Egwuatu, in response to reports that Air Peace’s Lagos-Osubi flight experienced a bird strike on landing.

According to reports, the aircraft was subjected to safety and technical assessments after the incident, with preliminary inspections indicating that further checks on its landing gear were required. The development was also said to have led to the cancellation of the airline’s scheduled return flight from Osubi to Lagos.

However, Egwuatu strongly rejected the reports, noting that Osubi Airport had maintained a bird-strike-free record for nearly two years.

“Osubi Airport recently celebrated almost two years without a bird strike incident, a major milestone in airport operations nationwide,” he said.

He added that preliminary findings by the airport’s management indicated that the reported bird strike did not occur at Osubi Airport.

“On this alleged report, I wish to strongly refute the claim and state that preliminary investigations have revealed that the strike did not happen at Osubi Airport. We believe the operating aircraft may have picked up the bird from the departing airport,” he said.

Egwuatu explained that the aircraft involved, Air Peace flight 5N-CEF, an Embraer E-195, reported evidence of a bird strike during a post-landing inspection.

According to him, the pilot informed airport officials that he heard a sound approximately 200 metres before reaching Osubi Airport. However, the Incident/Bird Strike Information System (IBIS) report reportedly indicated that the occurrence took place at about 50 feet above the runway threshold.

“The pilot did not report hearing any unusual sound on approach to Air Traffic Control, nor was any bird strike reported to ATC at the time,” he said.

He further disclosed that wildlife hazard control officers conducted inspections before and after the aircraft’s arrival but found no evidence of bird activity around the runway.

“It is possible that the aircraft encountered the bird 200 metres away, as the pilot informed us in the presence of the station manager and head of operations, or at another location, but certainly not within the Osubi Aerodrome,” Egwuatu stated.

The airport manager also dismissed reports that Air Peace had suspended operations to Osubi Airport, saying management had not received any such notification from the airline.

He added that the aircraft involved later departed safely from the airport at about 2:50 p.m.