The former Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina has described his principal’s reaction when a plane he boarded almost crashed in November 2015.
Adesina made the disclosure in his book recently launched in Abuja titled “Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023)“.
Adesina revealed in the book that the turbulence during the flight was so severe that when the plane eventually landed, a deeply terrified President Buhari queried the pilot: “What kind of landing is this?” The equally terrified pilot tendered an apology to the President and the other troubled passengers.
The incident was said to have occurred when the former president was travelling to the Island of Malta to attend a meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government.
The book said: “A presidential jet is not immune from bad weather and the accompanying turbulence (many hours of that we experienced). Neither is it spared from what aviators call wind shear (a sudden change in the direction of the wind). We had a frightful experience).
“In November 2015, we travelled to Malta to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and it was an uneventful flight till the flight crew announced that we should get ready for landing.
“A few seconds from touching the tarmac, the Boeing 737 business jet got buffeted from all sides and began to sway dangerously. On touching down, it pirouetted and gyrated like a drunken sailor; and was almost turning over.
“What kind of landing is this? Buhari is reported to have queried the frightened pilot, who immediately apologized to the then-president.
“We have just experienced what is called wind shear, a sudden change in the direction of wind. Apologies, Mr. President, and distinguished passengers,” the scared pilot replied Buhari on touching down safely.”
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