Monrovia — The Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) has provided conflicting information regarding an incident involving a Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800, flight number AT-567, at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) on Saturday morning.
Initial reports from local news outlets suggested that the Royal Air Maroc flight narrowly avoided a serious accident at the RIA, causing significant damage to the airport's runway lights.
The LCAA and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reportedly conducted a routine aircraft inspection, revealing significant debris and leading to further investigations.
The airport's Safety Compliance team then examined the runway, finding damage to the pavement shoulders and large debris scattered on the runway.
The cause of the incident was not established, but the Accident Investigation Board at LAA, according to local media, suggested that potential factors included runway issues, poor visibility, bad weather, or faults with the aircraft or pilot.
However, late Saturday evening, the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT) cited a release from the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) stating that no such incident occurred.
According to MICAT, the LAA reported: "The Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) wishes to inform the public about an incident involving Royal Air Maroc flight number AT-567, which occurred on the early morning of Saturday, August 17, 2024, at approximately 0515 HRS. The Boeing 737-800 Series aircraft landed at Roberts International Airport, taxied, and docked at the jetway without any reported incident."
The airport authorities, as quoted by MICAT, denied the occurrence of the reported incident involving the Royal Air Maroc flight landing at RIA.
Despite the LAA's assertion that the plane landed without incident, other media reports suggest otherwise, creating a discrepancy between the initial reports and the official statement.
Although the Ministry of Information's article's first paragraph claimed that the plane landed without incident, it later contradicted itself by highlighting a similar story reported elsewhere.
The report mentioned that inspection teams from both the LCAA and AAIB, along with the Minister of Transport, were dispatched to the airport for further observations.
According to the LAA release, the aircraft did land safely but veered off the runway. There were no injuries to passengers, no structural damage to the aircraft, and no fatalities. Importantly, the passengers were unaware of the incident.
Departing passengers were accommodated in nearby hotels while awaiting another Royal Air Maroc flight scheduled to arrive later in the day.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The release also stated that the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation by the LCAA and AAIB, and the aircraft remains grounded until further notice.
Updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
Despite the Ministry of Information's initial claim that there were no reported incidents, further details suggest that the story aligns with other reports, the primary difference being that passengers were unaware of the incident.
This discrepancy may imply that the headline could be misleading.
Meanwhile, the LAA says it remains committed to upholding the highest safety standards for passengers and aircraft.
