Max Air Flight Grounded After Four Tires Burst During Takeoff

The Max Air aircraft, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members, was cleared for takeoff when its rear gear tires burst. The remaining two tires also burst as the plane attempted to taxi off the runway.

This incident was detailed in a statement by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Bimbo Oladeji, at 11:22 pm on Sunday.

Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported.

The statement read, “This evening, Max Air’s flight NGL1649, a Boeing 737 with registration 5N-ADB, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members, was cleared for takeoff from Yola Airport en route to Abuja.

“During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard, identified as the bursting of the rear gear tires. Initially, two tires burst.

“While attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tires also burst, rendering the aircraft completely disabled.

“Fortunately, no injuries were reported. A go-team, led by NSIB Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr., will visit the incident site tomorrow morning to conduct an investigation.”

In a related incident in 2023, the NSIB reported that the airline had overwritten the Cockpit Voice Recorder of a serious incident that occurred on May 7, 2023, during landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The report also accused the airline of ignoring the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s directive regarding the continuous overwriting of CVR information.

This followed an aircraft, also belonging to the same airline, that had departed Abuja for Yola as flight NGL1648. The NSIB report stated that the aircraft was on the ground in Yola for about 30 minutes before its turnaround for Abuja.

It was gathered that after takeoff, the landing gear was left extended for three minutes to allow cooling due to the high ground temperature at Yola Airport. At 2:08 p.m., Nigerian Air Force personnel from the Air Force Hangar near runway 35 reported to Yola Control Tower that an object resembling a tire had fallen off from the departing flight NGL1649.