Former Special Adviser to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina has recalled how his principal questioned the pilot of a Boeing 737 business jet he travelled with to Malta when the aircraft landed roughly after experiencing turbulence.
Adesina, who is a prominent journalist and editor, disclosed this in his book, ‘Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015 – 2023),’ which was presented in Abuja on Tuesday.
He recounted that the president was on a trip to Malta to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) when the incident happened.
According to the ex-presidential aide, after the plane landed, Buhari queried the pilot: “What kind of landing is this?”
He said that the pilot responded, “We have just experienced what is called wind shear, a sudden change in the direction of wind. Apologies Mr. President, and distinguished passengers.”
The memoir read, “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 had 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.
“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.”
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