Plane that carries the Liberian president involved in landing of fear

Flights were temporarily disrupted at Liberia Main Airport on Thursday evening after a private jet with President Joseph Boakai almost crashed during the landing.

Part of the landing gear of the presidential jet did not work during the approaching of the runway, causing a rough landing, said the airport authorities.

The incident, which led panic at the airport, forced the cancellation of all planned flights for the night, local media reported.

President Boakai, who returned from a trip in Nigeria with his entourage, was safely evacuated because the authorities announced an investigation.

Photos of the stuck Jet on the Roberts International Airport (RIA) circulated on social media and caused concern about the security of the president.

Local media, with reference to airport authorities, said that one of the tires of the aircraft was bursting with landing, so that it had stranded on the runway.

In a statement, the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) confirmed the “unfortunate near-accident situation” in which the presidential jet was involved.

The authority rejected reports that suggested that the incident was caused by bad catwall basin conditions.

“The catwalk infrastructure continues to meet the international safety standards for the safety of aviation,” De Laa said.

The plane has since been removed from the runway and the normal activities have resumed at the airport, the authorities said.

“At this stage the investigation is to determine the actual cause of the incident, and the airport authority will keep the public informed,” De Laa said.

The Liberian presidency still has to comment on the incident, but it shared photos of Boakai who arrived at the airport, where he spoke briefly with journalists without mentioning the plane.

He had gone to Nigeria to attend the 50th anniversary of the Regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAs).