A false alarm prompted Arik Air’s Boeing 737-700, flight W3 720 from Lagos to Abuja, to return mid-air.

This occurred when an indicator light signaled a potential fire in the aft cargo area. Following standard procedures, the captain promptly initiated an air return, seeking priority landing clearance from the Control Tower just 10 minutes after takeoff.

Air returns are non-punitive safety procedures where an aircraft returns to land at the departure aerodrome without having initially planned to do so. The most common reason for this is an emergency or abnormal situation during or shortly after take-off.

Upon safe landing in Lagos, passengers disembarked for safety checks. The aircraft underwent thorough inspections by our team to ensure future airworthiness.

Subsequent investigation by the airline’s maintenance team confirmed the indication light was triggered by a false alarm. Arik Air in its statement, apologized for any inconvenience experienced by passengers as a result of this incident.

Source: https://nigerianflightdeck.com/arik-air-flight-returns-due-to-false-alarm-trigger/aviation-news/