But for God’s miraculous intervention, Nigeria would have been in deep mourning as you read this.
An Enugu-bound aircraft belonging to Allen Onyema’s Air Peace narrowly escaped crashing on Friday, December 14, 2018, YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine was told.
Two of the ‘survivors’, one of them being Lagos APC’s spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, narrated what happened, and unedited, thus:
The first is a woman who simply goes by the moniker of PriceHairs on Instagram:
“Officially the most memorable day in my life right now.. my testimony is that I am alive. Ok, flight was a 7am flight. We boarded but did not fly.
“After about 35 minutes, I realized the flight had issues as I saw some guys working on our flight engine, ok, after series of argument and quarrel between staff and passengers they told us to disembark from the aircraft.
“After series of quarrel they put us on another flight. This flight was not cooling. Someone like me spoke up and asked other passengers and crew members why the ac wasn’t working but crew member told me it will start cooling when we take off, so somehow I knew the air conditioning system wasn’t good and we just took off that way.
“15mins into the flight plane wasn’t moving smoothly so I decided to close my eyes and distract myself with music, next thing my neighbor woke me and said “use your oxygen mask, it was like a dream.
“Oxygen mask had dropped everywhere, plane had lost pressure,,,,I tried putting my oxygen mask but it cut and I saw small smoke from where it cut. Luckily nobody was seating near me, so I pulled the next one… most of the masks were not working, like my neighbor’s own wasn’t working.
“So after some time, that phase passed. We calmed down a bit. That was when I made this video. Next phase was the fainting phase as some people were losing consciousness so they called for medical personnel’s and we showed up and tried our best.
“Next and scariest part was the last one which I knew nobody recorded. The pilot announced we will be landing in 5 mins or 15mins (can’t remember), next thing I don’t know how to describe it but I think the plane lost control. I can’t even say this part. The plane was playing in the sky. I can’t describe it.
“This lasted for about 17mins I guess. I can’t describe this part but people called God and he answered and we landed. I don’t know how to say it, but there is God, just take it from me,,, that moment you look everywhere and there is no hope, that is when he proves himself God.” -(PriceHairs)
Taking Over from her, Igbokwe had this to say:
“THANKING GOD FOR AVERTING WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MONUMENTAL TRAGEDY TODAY IN NIGERIA.
“I had a 7 am Air Peace flight to Enugu this morning on my way to Makurdi BENUE State Nigeria to attend the 3rd CONFERENCE OF ALL- STATE APC PUBLICITY SECRETARIES . By 7 am all the passengers were already in the Aircraft ready to go. The aircraft did not leave. The Pilot told us that they are waiting for the completion of paper works. It was a big lie. The aircraft was having a technical problems. Through the window I saw Air Peace Engineers fiddling with the aircraft. After more than an hour their lies were punctured and they asked all the passengers to disembark and go to another Air Peace packed beside the one we were supposed to travel with.
“After wasting almost an hour there without success they now asked us to goo back to the Airport waiting Lounge for further information . We all went. Thereafter they asked us to go back to the same Aircraft. We did again. That was the beginning of our second ordeal. 20 mins after take off we suddenly saw the Oxygen Mask dropping. I saw other passengers grabbing the oxygen mask in a terribly panic manner. I managed to put my own as hell was let loose. Some passengers fainted, Children crying, mothers weeping and praying and everybody including myself joined in the prayers.
“After about 20 mins the normal pressure was restored but no smooth ride anymore. I think the Pilot lost track too that he even flew through Enugu Airport until he found his bearing again. The Aircraft slowed down. The loss pressure probably led to the slowdown. The entire Crew panicked I suppose. At a time l nearly gave up but God is on the throne. We landed safely thereafter to the glory of God. It was a nightmare I will not wish my enemies.
“Air Peace needs total reorganization and comprehensive overhaul to save the company and travelers. I suspect that the Aircraft that took us to Enugu was grounded for some technical problems but was deployed to manage to take us to Enugu because of pressure from passengers who were desperate to travel. It was a big disaster averted. I Thank God for the instruments he used to save our lives and managed what would have thrown the nation into deep mourning. One mistake like this will end Air Peace success story but God forbid. Let us try to do the needful always and stop managing something that cannot be managed. Deep maintenance culture is the way to go.”
Concerned passengers and constant air travellers, it would be recalled, have been warning Air Peace about attempts to cut corners, delayed and cancelled flights, among other issues. But hopefully, like one of them told YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine, this incident will make the management to sit up.