The Embraer ERJ-170LR aircraft operated by Enugu Air that veered off the runway while landing at Benin Airport has been declared a total loss and permanently withdrawn from service following the extent of damage it sustained during the incident.
According to aircraft records published by Planespotters.net and reviewed by SaharaReporters, the 17.6-year-old Embraer ERJ-170LR, registration 5N-ENR and manufacturer serial number 17000274, has now been classified as “written off”, an aviation term indicating that an aircraft has suffered damage so severe that it is beyond economic repair and will never return to commercial service.
Planespotters.net records show the aircraft, powered by two GE CF34-8E5 engines, was built by Brazilian manufacturer Embraer at São José dos Campos and first flew under the test registration PT-TQA before entering commercial service following its delivery to Egyptair Express in March 2009 as SU-GDH.
According to the aircraft record, the jet suffered catastrophic structural damage during the July 23 runway excursion at Benin Airport when it overran the runway in poor weather conditions.
The impact forced both landing gears upward through the wings before they detached from the fuselage, rendering the aircraft beyond repair.
Despite the extensive damage, all passengers and crew members safely evacuated the aircraft, with no fatalities or injuries recorded.
In aviation, an aircraft classified as “written off” is regarded as a total loss because repairing it is either technically impossible or economically unjustifiable. Such aircraft are permanently retired from service and are typically dismantled for spare parts or scrapped.
The aircraft had a long operational history before joining Enugu Air.
It was delivered to Egyptair Express in March 2009 as SU-GDH in a 76-seat all-economy configuration before being transferred to Egyptair in November 2019.
The aircraft was later withdrawn from service and stored in Cairo between 2020 and 2025.
In February 2025, it was re-registered in Nigeria as 5N-ENR and leased to XE Jet before subsequently joining Enugu Air, where it continued operating under XE Jet until March 16, 2026.
SaharaReporters had reported that the aircraft veered off the runway after landing at Benin Airport on July 23 amid torrential rainfall, initially sparking fears of a plane crash.
However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) clarified that the incident was a runway excursion, explaining that the aircraft landed safely before skidding off the runway due to adverse weather conditions.
Video obtained by SaharaReporters showed passengers evacuating the aircraft after it came to rest in a swampy area beside the runway, while no injuries were reported among the 63 passengers and five crew members on board.
Following the incident, Enugu Air announced temporary adjustments to some of its flight schedules while the aircraft was secured and aviation authorities commenced assessments.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, subsequently directed the relevant aviation agencies to investigate the incident, while Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State said the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) had already opened a probe into the runway excursion.
The governor assured the public that Enugu Air would fully cooperate with investigators, stressing that the airline’s operations are guided by safety standards that place passenger safety above commercial considerations.
The NSIB’s investigation into the circumstances surrounding the runway excursion remains ongoing, but the classification of the Embraer ERJ-170LR as written off means the aircraft’s 17.6-year operational career has officially come to an end.
