BREAKING: 68 Passengers Escape Death as Enugu Air Crash-Lands at Benin Airport

BREAKING: 68 Passengers Escape Death as Enugu Air Crash-Lands at Benin Airport

Aircraft overshoots runway and enters nearby bush; all passengers and crew evacuated without casualties as aviation authorities launch investigation.

No fewer than 68 passengers narrowly escaped death on Thursday, July 23, 2026, after an Enugu Air aircraft crash-landed at the Benin Airport in Edo State. The aircraft, with registration number 5N-ENR, was operating on the Enugu–Benin–Lagos commercial route when the incident occurred around midday on Thursday. According to a source at the Benin Airport who spoke on condition of anonymity, the aircraft overshot the runway after landing and veered into a nearby bush. Visuals from the scene circulating on social media showed the aircraft resting on a grassy area beside the runway, with its tail and one wing visibly detached from the fuselage. Passengers and airport personnel were seen walking around the wreckage, with no visible signs of casualties in the footage reviewed.

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Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) responded promptly to the incident and safely evacuated all passengers from the aircraft. No casualties were recorded. The exact number of crew members on board at the time of the incident could not be immediately confirmed.

Enugu Air is a commercial airline owned by the Enugu State Government and was launched in July 2025. It is the second state-owned commercial airline in Nigeria after Ibom Air, which is wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government. This latest incident comes after a previous mishap in November 2025, when an Enugu Air aircraft suffered a nose-landing gear failure while arriving at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. In that incident, all passengers and crew were also safely evacuated without injuries.

Aviation authorities, including FAAN and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), have yet to issue official statements on the cause of the incident. Investigations are expected to commence to determine what caused the aircraft to veer off the runway.

BREAKING: 68 Passengers Escape Death as Enugu Air Crash-Lands at Benin Airport