Debris and engine cowling damage visible on the Arik Air Boeing 737-700 after the emergency landing in Benin. (Image Source: NSIB)
An Arik Air plane, scheduled to fly from Lagos to Port Harcourt in the African country of Nigeria, made an emergency landing at Benin Airport after its engine exploded mid-air.
The Boeing 737 had 80 passengers onboard when its left side engine blew shortly after taking off.
According to Arik Air, the cabin crew on flight W3 740 heard a loud bang right after the airplane took-off and enacted emergency procedures immediately.
However, the plane safely made it to the Benin airport on just one engine, with no injuries reported on board. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) said that the plane had encountered an “in-flight engine anomaly.”
“A preliminary assessment team is en route to Benin to secure the aircraft, document evidence, interview relevant personnel and witnesses, and recover flight data and cockpit voice recorder information”, NSIB added.
The agency is expected to deliver its preliminary report in the next 30 days.
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Images show that parts of the left engine cowling separated, and debris hit parts of the plane’s fuselage and the vertical stabiliser. But according to Airdatanews, the structural damage wasn’t enough to make it spiral out of control.
The aircraft involved is a Boeing 737-700, part of the company’s Next Generation family, used for short domestic trips. It is a smaller variant of the company’s 737-800 and can carry 140 passengers on board.
Twin engine aircrafts, like the Boeing 737-700, can technically complete an entire flight, including landing with just one engine, but continuing flights after an engine breakdown isn’t preferred.
Arik Air’s aircraft, registered 5N-MJF, was delivered to the airline back in December 2007.
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While the exact cause of the engine explosion is still unclear, it may likely be because of an internal malfunction.
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Debris and engine cowling damage visible on the Arik Air Boeing 737-700 after the emergency landing in Benin. (Image Source: NSIB) 
