An Enugu Air Embraer E170 that overran a runway in Nigeria in July had an unavailable autobrake system and touched down with less than a third of the runway remaining, according to preliminary findings from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The accident occurred on July 23 as flight ENU4264 arrived at Oba Akenzua II Airport in Benin, Nigeria, following a flight from Lagos. The aircraft, registered 5N-ENR, was carrying 63 passengers and five crew members.
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The E170 overran Runway 05, continued onto an unpaved area and struck approach-lighting equipment and two concrete structures associated with a decommissioned localizer. All three landing gear assemblies separated during the accident, leaving the aircraft extensively damaged. All 68 people on board evacuated without injury.
The crew was already aware during the approach that the aircraft's autobrake was unavailable and discussed using manual braking after touchdown. The condition did not prevent the flight from landing, and investigators have not identified it as the cause of the accident. Other circumstances left the aircraft with little margin to stop.
Runway 05 was wet and visibility was around 4,900 ft (1,500 m) in moderate rain. Flight recorder data also showed a tailwind component of approximately 12 kt (22 km/h) as the aircraft crossed the threshold, decreasing to 6.4 kt (12 km/h) at touchdown.
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August 22, 2026
Most significantly, the E170 landed approximately 5,385 ft (1,642 m) beyond the beginning of the runway. With a published landing distance available of 7,874 ft (2,400 m), only about 2,488 ft (758 m) remained.
The aircraft touched down at a groundspeed of approximately 138 kt. Brake pressure subsequently increased, the ground spoilers deployed and investigators found the thrust reversers in the deployed position after the accident.
Wet runway information was incomplete
The preliminary report also identified airport-related issues. Although controllers informed the crew that the runway was wet, no Runway Condition Report or Runway Condition Code was transmitted. The weather information display in the control tower was unserviceable, while an unfinished building restricted controllers' view of part of the airport.
The NSIB has already issued four safety recommendations, including the removal of fixed structures from the decommissioned localizer beyond Runway 05.
The aircraft involved was a 17-year-old E170LR originally delivered to EgyptAir Express in 2009. It spent several years stored in Cairo before moving to Nigeria in 2025 and entering service with Enugu Air.
The NSIB stressed that the findings are preliminary and has not yet determined the probable cause of the accident.
