An aircraft belonging to Max Air lost six tires during its takeoff attempt from Yola Airport in Adamawa on Sunday evening.

The Max Air aircraft, with 119 passengers and six crew members on board, was authorized for takeoff when its first rear gear tires burst. Subsequently, the remaining two tires also failed during the aircraft’s attempt to taxi off the runway.

This information was provided in a statement shared source by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Bimbo Oladeji, at 23:22 on Sunday.

However, Olajide added that there were no fatalities or injuries reported as a result of the incident.

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 tyres. Initially, two tyres burst. While attempting to taxi off the runway, the remaining two tyres 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 2023, a report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) alleged that the airline had overwritten the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) data of a serious incident that occurred on May 7, 2023, during landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The report further alleged that the airline deliberately disregarded the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s All Operators Letter (NCAA/FSG/AOL/19/03) concerning the continuous overwriting of Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) information.

This revelation surfaced after an aircraft operated by the same airline departed from Abuja to Yola with the flight number NGL1648.

The NSIB report indicated that the aircraft remained on the ground in Yola for approximately 30 minutes prior to its return flight to Abuja.

It was subsequently discovered that following takeoff, the landing gear was intentionally extended for a duration of three minutes to facilitate cooling due to the elevated temperatures recorded on the tarmac at Yola Airport.

At 14:08 hours, Nigerian Air Force personnel stationed at the Air Force Hangar near runway 35 reported to Yola Control Tower that an object resembling a tire had detached from the departing NGL1649 aircraft.