BY DANIEL ETEGHE

Overland Airways flight 1170 en route Ibadan and Abuja  from Lagos, was yesterday, aborted by the pilot, following a  cracked windshield.

Pilot of the aircraft, an ATR-42, with 42 passengers on board, immediately diverted the flight back to base in Lagos as soon as he noticed the  crack.

Vanguard gathered that the flight which took off at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos at 7:42a.m., however, landed safely in Lagos at 9:43a.m., while the passengers were evacuated into another aircraft to continue their journey.

General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Mr. Supo Atobatele, who confirmed the development, said the pilot had to divert the aircraft to Lagos to avert tragedy.
According to Mr. Atobatele, the pilot diverted the aircraft to Lagos immediately he noticed the cracks on the windshield.

Atobatele assured that there was no cause for alarm as the situation was under control, noting that diversion was a precautionary measure that conformed with the basic safety norms in the aviation industry.