Ondo Lawmaker’s Daughter C0llapses on Flight, Pilot Makes £mergency Return
Ondo Lawmaker’s Daughter Collapses on Flight, Pilot Makes Emergency Return
A 21-year-old fresh graduate and daughter of a federal lawmaker from Ondo State reportedly suffocated and became unconscious aboard a Green Africa Airways flight from Abuja to Akure on Sunday, forcing the aircraft to abort its take-off.
The incident occurred at about 3:45 p.m. while flight Q9316 was taxiing for departure from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The young woman, whose father was also on the flight, reportedly developed breathing difficulties after passengers complained of excessive heat inside the aircraft.
According to an eyewitness, several passengers were sweating heavily after boarding, with some resorting to using hand fans to cope with the heat.
The eyewitness said the 21-year-old passenger complained to female cabin crew members that she was suffocating, but alleged that her concerns were dismissed with assurances that everything would be fine once the aircraft took off.
However, her condition reportedly worsened after the aircraft began taxiing, as she gasped for breath and eventually became unconscious.
The eyewitness said the passenger’s father became agitated and raised the alarm, prompting the cabin crew to alert the pilot.
The pilot subsequently returned the aircraft, allowing the passenger and her father to disembark and enabling medical personnel to attend to her. An ambulance was reportedly available to provide assistance.
“It was God’s intervention that saved the young girl because the female cabin crew members to whom she complained of suffocation were nonchalant and dismissive, saying everything would be okay once the aircraft took off,” the eyewitness said.
“But all of a sudden, her condition worsened while the aircraft was already taxiing on the exit runway.
“I think the girl’s father became agitated and threatened to take action, which made the cabin crew report the situation to the pilot, who returned the aircraft. We thank God an ambulance was waiting to attend to her as both the girl and her father disembarked from the aircraft.”
The flight had initially been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. but was subsequently rescheduled, with passengers receiving a text message at about 6:18 a.m. informing them that the new departure time was 3:20 p.m.
A subsequent message reportedly revised the departure time to 2:10 p.m.
The cause of the passenger’s breathing difficulty and the reported excessive heat inside the aircraft could not be independently established as of the time of filing this report.
Credit X| ROVING Reporters
