Zone

Crash of a Let L-410UVP in Maiduguri

Date & Time: Jan 23, 2001 at 2130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
9L-LCG
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Jos – Maiduguri
MSN:
85 15 31
YOM:
1985
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Jos on a charter flight to Maiduguri, carrying 14 passengers and four crew members for the Nigerian daily newspaper 'This Day'. After takeoff from Jos Airport, the crew was informed about good weather conditions at destination with a 9 km visibility that dropped few minutes later to 5 km. While approaching Maiduguri, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and ATC advised the crew to divert to another airport. The crew followed a holding pattern for few minutes for weather improvement but informed ATC that he was unable to divert due to insufficient fuel reserve. Eventually, the captain attempted an emergency landing 12 km from the airport. The aircraft crash landed in an open field and came to rest. All 18 occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Forced landing due to the deterioration of the weather conditions with tropical storm. Poor flight preparation from the crew who miscalculated the fuel reserve for a possible alternate airport. It was also determined that the crew was unable to locate the runway because the intensity of the runway light system was too low.

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1A Bandeirante in Kaduna

Date & Time: Mar 17, 2000 at 1047 LT
Operator:
Registration:
5N-AXM
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Abuja - Jos
MSN:
110-446
YOM:
1984
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
8733
Captain / Total hours on type:
1008.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3100
Copilot / Total hours on type:
200
Aircraft flight hours:
10926
Circumstances:
On the day of the accident, the aircraft was engaged in a charter operation for the Central Bank of Nigeria. The first segment of the flight (Lagos - Abuja) was flown by the Commander. The aircraft departed Lagos about 0630 hours UTC and initially at cruise, the crew had a momentary problem setting power on the starboard engine after which the flight continued normally to Abuja. The aircraft which departed Abuja for Jos at 0900 hours UTC had 6 souls on board, 5 hours endurance with the first officer at the controls. At FL 90 and about 30NM from Abuja, the crew again had problems with the cruise power setting on the starboard engine. The torque remained at 1400. The crew retarded the right power lever to the minimum with the aim of achieving a cruise setting of 1300 but the gear warning came on. The Commander at this stage took over the controls from the first officer. At 0923 hours UTC, the aircraft contacted Kaduna Tower that it would be diverting to Kaduna as against its scheduled destination giving its flight level as 90 at a distance of 61 miles and estimating TMA at 24 miles, 'KC' at 41 miles, 6 souls on board and 5 hours endurance at departure. The tower then gave the aircraft an inbound clearance to 'KC' locator maintaining FL 90 and to expect no delay for a locator approach runway 05. Weather report at 0900 hours UTC was also passed to the aircraft as wind 090/05 knots, QNH 1014 and temperature 30°c. At 0928 hours UTC the airplane at about 42 miles, speed between 150-160 kts, requested descent and was cleared to 4,500H, QNH 1014. At about 0935 hours UTC, the pilots contacted tower that they would make a single engine approach because they were having problems controlling power on the starboard engine and it would be shut down. The tower in response, asked whether they would need fire coverage on landing to which the pilots affirmed. The commander then reviewed the single engine approach with the first officer estimating 4,500 ft at 8NM. Approaching 4,500 ft at 11 NM, the crew initiated right engine shut down after which the speed was decayed from 150 to 140 kts. At 0946 hours UTC, the pilot reported 6nm final and field in sight while the tower requested hire to report 4 miles final. Shortly, the controller reported having the aircraft in sight and subsequently cleared it to land on runway 05 giving wind as north easterly 06 knots. Descending at 500ft/min, the commander requested for 25% of flap when the first officer selected full flap. Shortly, the speed started decaying and bleeding faster. When the aircraft was at 2,700 ft high, the speed had already decayed to between 100 - 110 kts. The crew applied full power on the port engine to arrest the speed decay but to no avail . The pilot was trying to correct the descent rate, speed decay and the asymmetry when the stall warning came on. At this juncture, all effort by the controller to establish further contact with the airplane proved abortive. Suddenly, the controller observed a gust of dust in the atmosphere which gave him an indication that the aircraft had crashed. The aircraft crashed into the new VOR/DME site being constructed about 1175m from the threshold of runway 05. Time of accident was 0947 hours UTC.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of this accident was the poor handling by the crew of the one-engine inoperative approach.
The following findings were identified:
- The aircraft was properly registered and certified in accordance with the Civil Aviation Regulations of Nigeria.
- The commander of the aircraft was certified and qualified to take the flight while the first officer did not have a licence on board on the clay of the accident. The licence had expired and yet to he renewed.
- The proficiency check attended by the GWW was Without some critical manoeuvres such as simulated single engine approach and stalls.
- The aircraft on departure from Abuja was to land at Jos but diverted to Kaduna.
- The crew informed Kaduna Control Tower that they were doing to make a single engine (port) approach since they were having problems controlling power of the starboard engine.
- The pilots did not adhere to the laid down procedures for a one-engine inoperative approach.
- Crew coordination was practically lacking in this flight.
- The Control Tower lost contact with the aircraft at about 4NM to the airfield.
- The Landing Configuration of the aircraft was full flaps, gear up with power only on the poet engine.
- The starboard engine propeller was not feathered.
- The aircraft crashed into the new VOR/DME site being constructed about Urn from the threshold of runway 05.
- The final resting position of the aircraft was about 68m from the first point of impact and almost turning 180° from its initial direction (flight path).
- There was power on the port engine as there was severe flexural damage to the propeller blades (tips chip off).
Final Report:

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1A Bandeirante in Yola: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1997
Operator:
Registration:
5N-AXS
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Jos – Yola – Maiduguri
MSN:
110-458
YOM:
1984
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While approaching Yola Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The captain decided to abandon the approach and initiated a go-around procedure. The crew followed a holding pattern for about an hour before starting a second attempt to land. On final approach, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the aircraft struck tree tops and a powerline before crashing 700 metres short of runway 17. All three crew members and two passengers were killed. The remaining 11 passengers were injured.
Probable cause:
The crew continued the approach below MDA until the aircraft struck obstacles and crashed.

Crash of a Gulfstream GII in Jos: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1996 at 0736 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VR-BLJ
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kaduna - Jos
MSN:
40
YOM:
1968
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The crew was completing an executive flight from Kaduna to Jos, carrying four crew members and eight passengers, among them Colonel Mohammed Wase. On approach to Jos Airport, the crew encountered limited visibility due to marginal weather conditions when the aircraft collided with a telecommunication antenna and crashed, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The following findings were reported:
- The antenna has been recently installed by the company Nitel in a prohibited area,
- The crew was unable to see and avoid the obstacles due to poor weather conditions,
- The aircraft was not properly aligned on the approach path due to a wrong calibration of the Jos VOR by 10°.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2F9 in Kaduna: 11 killed

Date & Time: Nov 13, 1995 at 0853 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5N-AUA
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Yola – Jos – Kaduna – Lagos
MSN:
22985
YOM:
1982
Flight number:
WT357
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
124
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Aircraft flight hours:
22375
Aircraft flight cycles:
27567
Circumstances:
Nigeria Airways flight WT357 departed Yola (YOL) at 07:00 en route to Lagos (LOS). Intermediate stops were planned at Jos (JOS) and Kaduna (KAD). The Boeing 737 landed at Jos at 07:40 and departed fifty minutes later. The flight to Kaduna was uneventful. Kaduna ATC gave the aircraft an inbound clearance with no delay for a locator approach to runway 05. Though, the initial landing clearance was for runway 05, the captain requested to land on runway 23. He was reminded by the controller that the wind was from 090 magnetic, but he still insisted on using the 23 approach. At 08:42, the aircraft commenced its initial descent at 48 miles on the ILS/DME to 4,500 ft. At 08:49 UTC, it was cleared to 3,500 ft at 10 miles out and was later descended to 500 ft. The aircraft turned left from the track 310 to align with runway 23 and the aircraft was still in the turn when the threshold was sighted just 1.5 miles to the left of the aircraft. The first officer asked the captain "Can you make it to land from that position?". The observer in the jump seat also suggested going on the downwind, presumably to re-position the aircraft for landing on runway 05. There was no response at all from the captain and the approach was continued for runway 23. The left turn was very steep and it took the aircraft to the left of the runway centreline and a right correction was applied. The observer shouted "Watch the wing" as the wings could have struck the ground on the final approach. By this time, the aircraft crossed the threshold with the flying pilot still struggling to maintain directional control for runway centreline alignment. The aircraft touched down 7820 feet down the runway, leaving just 2020 ft (615.85 m) of runway length. The captain was reported to have used 1.8 and 1.6 EPR on the reversers. When a runway overrun became inevitable, the captain turned the aircraft to the left with the intention to take advantage of the last rapid exit intersection to avoid the runway end lights. At this juncture, the aircraft entered an uncontrollable skid. The right wing hit the ground, thus rupturing the fuel tanks and a huge fire erupted. The aircraft was destroyed by the fire.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of the accident is the continuation of a highly unstabilized approach when the option of a missed approach could have been taken. The contributing factor was the turn off at 76 knots into the high speed intersection when an overrun into the extended runway end should have been maintained.

Crash of a Boeing 737-2F9 in Port Harcourt

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1988
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5N-ANW
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Jos – Port Harcourt
MSN:
22771
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
124
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The approach to Port Harcourt Airport was completed in heavy rain falls. After touchdown, the airplane encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance and overran. While contacting soft ground, the nose and right main gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest. 36 occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Cessna 402 in Nigeria: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CS-AHP
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Jos - Port Harcourt
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while completing a flight from Jos to Port Harcourt. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 in Jos

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5N-AAX
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kaduna - Jos
MSN:
10218
YOM:
1963
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
38
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
12959
Aircraft flight cycles:
13133
Circumstances:
Apparently following a wrong approach configuration to runway 28, the aircraft was too high on the glide and landed too far down the runway. After touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and eventually collided with gravel piles. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and 34 occupants were injured, seven others were unhurt.