Nigerian Aircraft Somersaults, Four Hospitalized

By Repirter

As criticisms continue to trail operations of airlines in Nigeria, including unrealistic airfare charges, unprofessional conducts of operators, poor supervision by agencies of government and alleged poor maintenance culture, an aircraft has somersaulted in Owerri, leaving four persons critically injured.

The aircraft crashed while landing at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State.

The plane, a Cessna 172 operated by Skypower Express, reportedly somersaulted on the runway during the incident.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed that the aircraft, registered as 5N-ASR, was traveling from Kaduna International Airport to Port Harcourt International Airport when the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Owerri.

The accident happened around 8:00 pm yesterday Tuesday, December 17, 2025 as the plane approached Runway 17.

Officials said all four people on board were taken to a hospital and were unsure of their level of injury.

While their exact condition has not been independently confirmed, there are no reports of fatalities.

Flight operations continued as the runway remained open for other aircraft, and Midwest Herald learnt that, NSIB has begun a formal investigation into the crash.

The agency’s Director-General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., was quoted to have said his team is “coordinating with relevant authorities to secure the site and recover the aircraft for detailed examination.”

The bureau also confirmed that safety protocols are being followed to determine the cause of the accident