Rapper and content creator Chinedu, popularly known as Triple Pin, has shared an emotional account of surviving the Enugu Air aircraft that veered off the runway during landing at the Benin Airport, describing the experience as one that completely changed his outlook on life.
Speaking in a video posted on his Instagram page after Thursday’s incident, the entertainer said he had only watched aircraft accidents in movies or seen them on social media until he found himself living through one.
“This is how these big dreams would have gone. Our plane crashed today.
“I used to see things like this in movies and on social media. I thought it was limited to that,” he said.
Reflecting on the flight, Triple Pin explained that heavy rainfall significantly reduced visibility throughout the journey, leaving him wondering how the pilots were able to operate the aircraft under such difficult weather conditions.
“The whole window was blurry because rain was falling. I was wondering how the pilot was able to continue despite the weather,” he recalled.
According to him, the aircraft circled the airport several times while preparing to land before the situation suddenly escalated.
“When we got to our destination, and it was time to land, the pilot was rotating in the air, looking for where to land.
“He kept rotating, and that was how he lost control and moved towards the bush. All of a sudden, all I heard was noise. Everybody was in panic,” he said.
Despite the frightening experience, Triple Pin expressed gratitude that the aircraft did not catch fire after leaving the runway, believing the heavy rain may have prevented a far worse tragedy.
“The reason our plane didn’t catch fire was because rain was falling. That is how I would have died.
“That is how these big dreams would have been unfulfilled.
“I came out with no injury,” he added.
His comments followed the confirmation by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) that it had launched an investigation into the runway excursion involving an Enugu Air Embraer E170 aircraft at the Benin Airport in Edo State.
In a statement released on Thursday, the bureau disclosed that the aircraft, operating as Flight 4264 with registration number 5N-ENR from Lagos to Benin, overran the end of Runway 05 while landing at approximately 3:10 p.m. local time.
According to the NSIB, there were 63 passengers and five crew members on board the aircraft, and everyone was safely accounted for with no injuries reported.
“The aircraft, operating as Flight 4264 (registration 5N-ENR) from Lagos to Benin, was involved in a runway excursion after overrunning the end of Runway 05 during landing at approximately 1510 hours local time,” the statement read.
The bureau added that its investigation team arrived at the airport shortly after the occurrence to secure evidence, inspect the aircraft, assess the runway conditions and interview the flight crew as part of the ongoing investigation.
Speaking on the development, NSIB Director-General, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr., said the safe evacuation of all passengers and crew members was encouraging, but emphasized that runway excursions remain serious aviation incidents that require detailed and independent investigations.
“We are relieved that all passengers and crew members are safe and that no injuries were reported.
“While this is reassuring, every runway excursion is a serious occurrence that deserves a thorough and independent investigation,” he stated.
Enugu Air also confirmed the incident, describing it as a runway excursion involving one of its Embraer regional jets.
The airline reassured the public that every passenger and crew member was safely evacuated without injuries and noted that some flight schedules could experience temporary adjustments while the investigation is ongoing.
