Kano

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Bamako - Kano - Mecca - Jeddah - Khartoum - Kano - Bamako

MSN:

181 0033 04

YOM:

1961

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was engaged in a monthly schedule flight from Bamako to Saudi Arabia. En route from Bamako to Kano, ATC informed the crew about the deterioration of the weather conditions and instructed the pilots to divert to Niamey. In marginal weather conditions, the crew apparently lost his orientation and probably following a navigational error, the airplane flew to the west when the crew realized he was flying over the region of Ouagadougou, about 400 km southwest of Niamey. Shortly later, as he was short of fuel, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in an open field located in Linoghin, about 40 km east of Ouagadougou. Two crew members and 11 passengers were injured while 47 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a fuel exhaustion caused by probable navigational errors on part of the crew who lost his orientation in poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Boeing 707-3D3C in Kano: 176 killed

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1973 at 0930 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 707

Operator:

Registration:

JY-ADO

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Jeddah - Lagos

MSN:

20494/850

YOM:

1971

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

193

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

176

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a charter flight from Jeddah to Lagos on behalf of Nigeria Airways, carrying Nigerian pilgrims flying back home. En route, the crew was informed about bad weather in Lagos and was rerouted to Kano-Mallam Aminu Kano Airport. On final approach, the pilot-in-command encountered mist when during the last segment, control was lost. The airplane nosed down and struck the runway surface with its nose gear first. On impact, the nose gear collapsed then both main gears touched the ground and punctured the fuel tanks. Out of control, the airplane skidded on runway, lost its both left engines then made a 180 turn before coming to rest in flames. Three crew members and 23 passengers were rescued while 176 other occupants were killed. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire. Up to date, this was the worst plane crash in History.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident remain unclear. Nevertheless, it is believed that control was lost on short final due to wake turbulences and the aircraft adopted a nose-down attitude before crashing onto the runway.

Crash of a Vickers VC-10-1101 in Lagos: 87 killed

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1969 at 0845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers VC-10

Operator:

Registration:

5N-ABD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

London - Rome - Kano - Lagos

MSN:

804

YOM:

1962

Flight number:

WT825

Location:

Lagos-Murtala Muhammed

Lagos

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

18431

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Kano, the crew started the descent to Lagos-Ikeja Airport. The captain was cleared for a straight-in approach but encountered low visibility due to foggy conditions. On final, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck trees and crashed 13 km short of runway 19. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 87 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. The FDR was found undamaged but the British AAIB engineers reported it was unreadable as the data consisted only of a stream of alternating ones and zeros. Apparently there had been a fault in one of the logic units of the system, something which could not be detected from the flight deck. No readable data could be reconstructed from this. Nevertheless, it is believed that the flying crew led the aircraft descending below the minimum safe altitude while still under control.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-3 Otter in Kano: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1969

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

Operator:

Registration:

5N-ABM

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kano – Kaduna

MSN:

443

YOM:

1964

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Kano Airport, the float equipped aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all seven occupants, among them ex Minister Sanna Buker.

Crash of a Boeing 720-060B in Beirut

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1968 at 1833 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 720

Operator:

Registration:

ET-AAG

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Continentale Deutsche Luftreederei

Schedule:

Lagos - Kano - Beirut

MSN:

18454/319

YOM:

1962

Flight number:

ME272

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

15780

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Lagos via Kano, the crew started the approach to Beirut in poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls, turbulences and wind gusting to 45 knots. On short final, the airplane was unstable and landed nose gear first. On impact, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest in flames. All 49 occupants were rescued, 10 of them were injured. The aircraft was partially consumed by fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-54B-1-DC Skymaster in Kano: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1961 at 2323 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

D-ABEB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hamburg – Luxembourg – Tripoli – Kano – Léopoldville

MSN:

10530

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

13000

Captain / Total hours on type:

4000.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3000

Copilot / Total hours on type:

600

Aircraft flight hours:

32850

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Tripoli, the crew started a night approach to Kano-Intl Airport. On final, the airplane struck the ground 3,2 km short of runway 07 threshold and crashed. A passenger was killed while six other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of an error of judgement on the part of the captain, who, after sighting the runway lights, concentrated on keeping them in sight and failed to make adequate reference to his flight instruments. As a result, he allowed the aircraft to descend below the obstacle clearance limit of 360 feet. In the darkness with no ground reference, the distant runway lights gave him insufficient guidance as to his height and angle of approach, and he was unaware that the aircraft had descended to ground level. The fatigue of the captain and the failure to put the aircraft's landing lights ON were considered as contributing factors.

Final Report:

Crash of a Canadair C-4M Argonaut in Kano: 32 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1956 at 1722 LT

Type of aircraft:

Canadair C-4 North Star

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALHE

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lagos – Kano – Tripoli – London

MSN:

151

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft departed runway 25 at Kano Airport for Tripoli in moderate rain and climbed to an altitude of 250 feet. The aircraft then began to lose height rapidly and although the pilot-in- command ordered full power, the descent could not be checked. Notwithstanding the increased power he was unable to prevent it striking a tree and the aircraft crashed about 1,5 mile from the end of the runway. Three crew members and 29 passengers were killed. At time of takeoff, the reported weather conditions on runway 25 were as follows: cloud 3/8, base at 2,500 feet, wind 270° at 20 knots, visibility 1,500 yards and moderate rain.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of loss of height and airspeed caused by the aircraft en- countering, at approximately 250 feet after takeoff, an unpredictable thunderstorm cell which gave rise to a sudden reversal of wind direction, heavy rain, and possible downdraught conditions.

Final Report:

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV near Atar: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1952 at 0845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALDN

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors: