otto_orondaam/InstagramFootage has emerged of a man climbing onto the wing of a plane just before takeoff, causing panic among passengers and the flight to be severely delayed.
The video was taken from inside the plane, and shows the man climbing up the engine onto the left wing of the plane, as shocked passengers look out the window.
In the second video – posted on social media by the founder of Slum2School Africa, Orondaam Otto – the man can be seen climbing out of one of the plane’s engines, before apparently trying to talk to the people inside the plane.
otto_orondaam/InstagramAlongside the video, Orondaam wrote:
Guys this is an emmergency o. [sic]
For 30 minutes we have been stuck at the runway at MMIA by an unidentified man who ran to the aircraft with a bag.
Security has not showed up and everyone is panicking.
I have so many questions to ask but right now I can’t even breathe.
The incident took place on Azman Air flight in Lagos, Nigeria, onboard a Boeing 737 plane. According to Nigeria’s Daily Post, the plane was in a holding bay waiting for clearance to take off just before the incident occurred.
You can watch the video here:
In an update, Orondaam wrote:
Dear Nigeria!!!!! Update: He has finally been apprehended and we’ve all disembarked from the flight. FAAN [Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria] authorities showed up 23minutes into the scene but were scared to approach him. Security eventually shows up after 37mins.
Henrietta Yakubu, general manager, corporate affairs of FAAN, confirmed to reporters the man had been arrested. According to sources, the man had apparently wanted to gain access to the plane so he could travel to Ghana, but did not say how he managed to gain access to the restricted airfield.
otto_orondaamDescribing what happened, Orondaam added:
How it happened!! So our flight was taxing on the runway and about taking off when this man shows up running towards the moving aircraft from the bush. The pilot and a few passengers spotted him running towards the aircraft and the pilot immediately slowed down and quickly put off the engine.
The guy approaches the plane with gloves and starts walking around and under the aircraft holding a bag which he dropped inside the engine.
Thanks to the Pilot of the Azman Airline for quickly observing and taking swift action.. I still have a million and one questions to ask cos anything could have gone wrong! Nigeria will work perfectly someday. This I know. [sic]
Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident, and the plane was eventually allowed to make its journey.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.