Monrovia – A Royal Air Maroc flight narrowly avoided a serious accident at Roberts International Airport (RIA) on Saturday morning. Sources with knowledge of the situation reported that the plane landed on both rear wheels, but shortly after, the left wheel veered into a muddy grass patch adjacent to the runway. This caused damage to several runway lights, which are already sparse at RIA.
It appears that the pilot did not report the incident to the control tower or airport authorities, as the aircraft was parked at the passenger boarding bridge without any visible signs of alarm among the passengers, who disembarked normally. The incident only came to light when departing passengers experienced a two-hour delay in their boarding time. It was then that Royal Air Maroc staff informed them of the situation.
As a precaution, the departing passengers were transported to the Farmington Hotel near the airport and Tíme Royal Ambassador Hotel in Unification Town where they remain while the incident is being investigated by the relevant authorities.
The Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) later confirmed the incident in a statement. According to the LAA, the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 Series with flight number AT-567, had landed safely but veered off the runway, resulting in no injuries to passengers, no structural damage to the aircraft, and no fatalities. “It is important to note that passengers on board the aircraft were unaware of the incident,” the LAA emphasized.
The LAA also noted during a routine inspection of the aircraft before its scheduled departure, significant debris was found on the runway, leading to further inspections. The airport’s Safety Compliance team inspected the runway and discovered damage to portions of the runway pavement shoulders, with debris scattered along the runway.
Upon learning of the situation, the LAA management contacted the airline crew through the aircraft engineer, instructing that the aircraft remain grounded until further notice. The Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) were promptly informed, according to the LAA; adding, inspection teams from both agencies, along with the Minister of Transport, were dispatched to the airport to assess the incident scene further.
