An Enugu Air regional jet overran the runway while landing at Benin Airport in southern Nigeria on July 23, 2026, coming to rest on soft ground with its landing gear collapsed. All 68 people aboard escaped without injury, and Nigeria’s Safety Investigation Bureau has opened an inquiry.
What happened on Runway 05
Flight 4264 was arriving from Lagos when it touched down on Benin’s Runway 05 at about 3:10 p.m. local time, according to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). The Embraer E170 ran off the end of the runway and continued onto rough ground before stopping.
The aircraft, registered 5N-ENR, was carrying 63 passengers and five crew. All were evacuated safely, and the airline confirmed there were no injuries.
Photos from the scene show the jet resting on its belly on muddy terrain, with both main landing gear separated from the airframe. The damage looks severe enough that the 17-year-old aircraft may not fly again, though its status has not been formally assessed.
NSIB Director-General Capt. Alex Badeh Jr. said investigators were “relieved that all passengers and crew members are safe and that no injuries were reported.” The bureau said its Go Team reached the site within minutes and that a preliminary report is due within 30 days.
The essentials
Enugu Air flight 4264, an Embraer E170 from Lagos, overran Runway 05 at Benin on July 23, 2026. Of the 68 people on board, 63 were passengers and five were crew. No one was hurt. The aircraft was substantially damaged.
Why runway overruns keep happening
Runway excursions, where an aircraft leaves the paved surface on takeoff or landing, are among the most common categories of aviation accident worldwide. Most cause no fatalities, but they routinely write off airframes and shut runways for hours.
A long or fast touchdown, a wet or contaminated surface, or a tailwind can each stretch the distance a jet needs to stop. Images from Benin suggested standing water on the runway, though NSIB has not confirmed the weather or any cause.
Airports manage the risk with a runway safety area, a graded strip beyond the paved end meant to slow an aircraft that runs off. Its length and firmness often decide whether an excursion ends with a bumped nose or a wrecked jet.
Manufacturers are attacking the problem in the cockpit too. Embraer’s newer E2 jets can carry a runway overrun alert system that warns pilots when the runway ahead is running short, technology the older first-generation E-Jets like this one were never built with.
A young airline under scrutiny
The accident is an early test for Enugu Air, a Nigerian state-backed carrier that flew its first service in July 2025 and only received its full air operator certificate from the country’s aviation regulator in March 2026.
Built around Embraer regional jets, the airline has been expanding quickly, with public plans to grow from a handful of aircraft toward a fleet of around 20 by the end of 2026. Losing a jet from a small fleet is a meaningful setback for a carrier still finding its feet.
Reality check
This is a developing story. No cause has been established, the damage has not been formally assessed, and NSIB’s findings will not be known until it publishes its preliminary report. Early photos and eyewitness accounts can be misleading.