Arik Air escaped air crash yesterday when some hunters of rats and squirrels set fire near the field of the airport in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The fire was said to have spread far into the fields of the airport lose to the runway, engulfing the whole environment.
It was learnt that the overbearing smoke led to the diversion of the Arik aircraft, having earlier been diverted from Abuja to Ibadan to Lagos.
The pilot of the aircraft, which schedule was to leave Abuja at 9:40am and arrive Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, an hour later, was said to have announced descent into Ibadan when he suddenly took off again.
The pilot was to later tell passengers that there was a radio message of a fire outbreak at the Ibadan airport, hence the advice that the flight should head to Lagos.
After landing in Lagos and waiting for some time, the pilot was then advised again to head to Ibadan as the fire had been put off. The aircraft landed in Ibadan at about 2pm, according to the sources. [myad]
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