A Max Air Boeing 737-300 (registration 5N-DAB) en route from Abuja to Katsina was forced to execute an emergency return to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Monday.
The decision followed a harrowing ‘engine anomaly’ that occurred shortly after takeoff, leaving high-profile passengers stranded on the tarmac.
The incident involving Flight VM1620 occurred approximately 15 minutes into the journey. According to passengers onboard—including the son of Dahiru Mangal and several Katsina State government officials—the aircraft experienced a sudden and distressing loss of altitude.
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One passenger, narrating the incident via a viral video on social media, described a moment of panic at 10,000 feet:
“The aircraft experienced a sudden technical failure, causing it to lose altitude rapidly as if it were falling. The pilots managed to regain control and immediately performed an emergency return to Abuja for our safety.”
In a statement released on Tuesday, Max Air confirmed that the flight crew identified an “indication of an engine anomaly” and elected to return to the Abuja hub in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
To mitigate the disruption, the airline deployed a secondary aircraft (5N-DMK) from Kano to complete the Abuja–Katsina service.
Max Air’s engineering teams have since commenced a full technical assessment of the 5N-DAB airframe.
The airline stated it is in “close contact” with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and will cooperate fully with the regulatory review process.
