History of the Flight
On 14 December 2025, a Hawker 800XP aircraft, registered as 5N-ISB, operated by Flybird Aircraft Management Services Limited, was scheduled for a charter flight from Abuja to Kano. The flight departed at 09:29 h from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and climbed to flight level 270 with an instrument flight plan. On board were three crew members (captain, first officer, and one cabin crew) and eight passengers.
While on approach to runway 06 at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, the crew received clearance for an ILS approach. During the approach, after selecting flaps 15 and landing gear down, the gear indication showed two green lights for the main landing gear and one red light for the nose gear. The crew recycled the gear once but the indication remained unchanged.
The crew informed air traffic control of the indication problem and requested a low pass for visual confirmation. At 10:07:37 h, the tower advised that the gears appeared down. The crew executed a go-around and performed the checklist for "Landing Gear – Three Greens Not Indicated." After completing the checklist, the indication still showed two greens and one red. The crew then conducted a second low pass, and at 10:24:32 h, the tower again confirmed that the gears appeared down.
The crew decided to land. At 10:34 h, 5N-ISB touched down on runway 06. The main landing gears touched down first, while the nose gear touchdown was delayed by the flight crew holding the control column up. The nose gear touched down approximately 2,201 meters from the runway threshold and collapsed shortly afterward.
The aircraft veered 9.2 meters left of the centerline and dragged with the nose on the runway for 514 meters before coming to a stop. The lower section of the nose suffered abrasion, and the nose landing gear wheel well doors detached, with debris found 190.3 meters from the collapse point.
Injuries and Damage
All 11 occupants disembarked without injuries. The aircraft sustained slight damage.
Investigation
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) was notified on the day of the occurrence and dispatched investigators. The aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were retrieved and downloaded for analysis. The incident occurred during daylight hours under visual meteorological conditions. The investigation is ongoing.