Max Air Boeing 737 Previously Involved In Double Burst Tyre Incident Suffers Burst Tyre And Landing Gear Collapse In Kano

A Max Air Boeing 737-400 with registration number 5N-MBD suffered a landing gear failure while landing at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport on Tuesday night. A source who spoke to West Africa Weekly confirmed that the nose landing gear collapsed completely, and the four main wheels burst.

The aircraft, which had earlier departed the Murtala Muhammed Muhammed Airport in Lagos, overshot the runway and crash-landed at past 10 p.m. Passengers were evacuated through an emergency exit, many of them in panic.

While the airline assured all passengers and crew were safe, this latest incident adds to a growing list of safety failures involving Max Air in recent years.

On 7 May 2023, the same aircraft suffered multiple tyre bursts while landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The plane, carrying 143 passengers, forced a temporary airport closure as authorities worked to clear the runway. More recently, on 5 December 2024, a Max Air Boeing 737-3H4 with registration number 5N-BBM caught fire 10 minutes after takeoff from Maiduguri Airport. The aircraft carried over 70 passengers, including Borno State Deputy Governor Usman Kadafur. The incident caused the flight to make an emergency landing.

Several other incidents have raised concerns about the airline’s safety record. On 21 July 2024, a Max Air Boeing 737-400 with registration number 5N-ADB suffered a rear tyre burst while taxiing to takeoff at Yola Airport. The flight to Abuja was delayed, carrying 119 passengers and six crew members. Passengers were evacuated after the aircraft was immobilised on the runway. On 7 July 2023, a Max Air Boeing 737 left Abuja for Yola with excessive water in its fuel tanks, putting nearly 100 passengers at risk. On 11 July 2023, another Max Air flight aborted takeoff in Kano due to high Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) readings. That same day, another flight made an emergency return to Abuja after pilots detected overheating in the cockpit.

Despite these repeated failures, regulatory action has been weak. In 2023, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) briefly grounded Max Air’s Boeing 737 fleet after an audit found 48 major safety violations. However, the suspension lasted just 17 days. The airline resumed flights even before the investigation was officially concluded. The audit report was released on 1 August, two days after Max Air had already received approval to fly again.

A West Africa Weekly report in December 2024 revealed that between 2023 and 2024, Max Air recorded at least seven major safety incidents, including multiple tyre bursts and mechanical failures. Yet, the NCAA has not imposed any tough penalties or long-term restrictions. The NCAA’s continued leniency towards Max Air’s safety breaches has made every flight a gamble, placing the lives of hundreds of passengers in constant jeopardy. This dance with death is problematic and deeply troubling.

Read More:

• Nigeria’s Danfo Airline And The NCAA’s Dance With Death
• NCAA Suspends Max Air for Three Months After Several Flight Safety Incidents

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