Monrovia, Liberia – An unobserved incident involving a Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800, aircraft number AT-567, occurred at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) on Saturday morning, according to a report from the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA).
The runway lights at the RIA were severely damaged in the close call with a major accident that the Royal Air Maroc flight narrowly escaped, according to early reports from local news sources.
After conducting a routine aircraft check, the LCAA and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reportedly found large debris, which prompted additional investigations.
After inspecting the runway, the airport’s Safety Compliance team discovered considerable debris strewn across it as well as damage to the pavement shoulders.
Although the cause of the incident was not determined, the LAA Accident Investigation Board reportedly indicated to the local media that possible contributing causes could be problems with the runway, inadequate visibility, inclement weather, or malfunctions with the aircraft or pilot.
But late on Saturday night, the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) issued a release that the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT) highlighted. The release said that no such occurrence had happened.
“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,” MICAT said in reference to the LAA report. There were no recorded incidents during the Boeing 737-800 Series aircraft’s landing, taxiing, or docking at Roberts International Airport.
According to MICAT, the airport officials refuted the existence of the incident that was alleged to have involved the Royal Air Maroc plane landing at RIA.
There is a difference between the first reports and the official announcement despite the LAA’s claim that the jet landed safely, according to other media accounts.
The article from the Ministry of Information said in the first paragraph that the jet landed safely, but it later contradicted itself by quoting an account that had been published somewhere else.
The report stated that the Minister of Transport and inspection teams from the LCAA and AAIB were sent to the airport to make additional observations.
The aircraft did land safely, however it drifted off the runway, according to the LAA report. There were no fatalities, no structural damage to the aircraft, and no injuries to the passengers. Crucially, none of the passengers knew about the incident.
Passengers departing were housed at adjacent hotels till the arrival of a second Royal Air Maroc flight later in the day. The report also said that the aircraft is still grounded till further notice and that the LCAA and AAIB are looking into the circumstances surrounding the mishap.
