Nigerian jet makes Cambridge despite mid-air ‘mayday’
A Nigerian jet on its way to Cambridge Airport for essential maintenance suffered radio failure and two French jets had to be scrambled to escort it into UK airspace.
The C130 Hercules aircraft was on route from Kano in northern Nigeria to Cambridge when it lost communication somewhere over France.
Using the aircraft’s transponder, the pilot was able to notify radar stations on the ground and Air Traffic Control that he was unable to communicate with them.
Two French Air Force Mirage Fighters were scrambled, which escorted the Hercules through French airspace.
The escort was taken over by two Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft when it entered UK airspace and the Hercules, which was being flown by Nigerian crew, landed safely at Cambridge.
Terry Holloway, group support executive for The Marshall Group of Companies, said: “The crew took the right actions in continuing their flight to Cambridge, which was the destination on their flight plan, and by notifying ground stations using the transponder in the aircraft cockpit.
“The aircraft is with Marshall Aerospace for major servicing and will be in Cambridge for several months before returning to Nigeria.”
