Nigeria

The aircraft was completing a humanitarian flight from Cotonou to Uli on behalf of the Red Cross International Comity, carrying a load of 10 tons of food. On final approach from the north by night, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions when the four engine aircraft struck the ground and crashed some 10 km north of Uli Airstrip, near the village of Ihiala. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Karl Eric Baltze, pilot,
Hellmut Scharck, copilot,
Carl Goesta Sternhag, flight engineer,
Bo Valentin Almgren, loadmaster.

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

The crew was completing a cargo flight from São Tomé to Uli on behalf of Caritas. On final approach, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances few km short of runway and was destroyed. All four occupants were killed. It is believed that one of the engine was inoperative at the time of the accident for unknown reason.

The aircraft was leased to J. Ray McDermott Construction Company and flying a regular route from Lagos to the various construction sites up country. On the day of the accident the amphibious float-equipped aircraft took off from Warri Airstrip for a three-minute flight to the river with wheels extended and on landing flipped over and came to rest inverted. Initially the occupants were-seen trying to escape but two large containers of Red Lead oxide burst open on impact and hindered the escape by possibly blinding or suffocating the pilot and two passengers. It is believed the occupants did not survive the accident.

The four engine aircraft was performing a charter flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt, carrying 53 passengers, a crew of four and a load of ammunitions. The approach to Port Harcourt Airport was initiated by night and despite the fact that the pilot had the runway in sight, he failed to realize his altitude was too low when the left wing struck two trees. The airplane stalled and crashed in flames onto houses located few km short of runway. None of 57 occupants survived the crash and one person on the ground was also killed. Following the accident, huge explosions occurred as the aircraft was carrying a load of ammunitions.

On approach to Uzuakoli, the pilot lowered the landing gear but they apparently failed to lock. A belly landing was completed. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Flight SN712 was a non-scheduled international cargo flight from Brussels direct to Lagos on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria with 34 994 kg of cargo on board. No passengers were being carried. A flight plan was filed for a flight of 6 hours 9 minutes and the total endurance of the aircraft was stated as 8 hours 20 minutes. The designated alternate was Kano. The aircraft took off from Brussels at 2152 hours GMT on 12 July 1968 and routine radio reports were received during the en route phase of the flight. At 0325 hours R/T contact was made with Lagos approach control. The R/T transmissions with the aircraft have been identified as being almost certainly the voice of the co-pilot indicating that he was doing the R/T rhile the pilot-in-command was flying the aircraft. The aircraft gave an ETA at Lagos of 0355 hours and reported that it was at flight Level (FL) 330. A request was then made for the latest Lagos weather and the reply included the following information: wind: 210°/3 kt; visibility: 16 km; cloud: 5/8 stratocumulus 270 m, 7/8 altostratus 2 400 m, temporary thunderstorms, 118 cumulonimbus 2 000 ft; QNH: 1012 mb; temperature 24°. At 0327 hours the aircraft reported an ETA overhead Ibadan NDB of 0344 hours in response to a request for this information from Lagos. One minute later it reported that the Ibadan NDB did not appear to be operating. At 0336 the aircraft requested descent clearance. It was cleared to Lagos at FL60 and commenced the descent from FL330 at that time. Three minutes later the aircraft reported passing Ibadan and descending through FL275 but since it had reported earlier that the Ibadan NDB seemed not to be radiating it is not known how the position was determined. In reply Lagos approach stated that there was no delay in the approach and that the runway in use was 19. At 0341 hours, when the aircraft was about 50 miles north of. Lagos, it was recleared to 2 200 ft on a QNH of 1012 mb - and told to report field in sight. The flight recorder readout shows that shortly after this interchange the descent was interrupted while the speed decreased to a figure corresponding to the recommended maximum for landing gear extension and this speed was not exceeded for the remainder of the flight. Close study of the flight recording shows subsequent irregularity indicating that the automatic pilot was most probably disengaged at this stage of the flight. Subsequent to the speed reduction the rate of descent was re-established to approximately 2 000 ft/min and at 0350 hours the aircraft passed one mile to the east of Lagos airport whilst on a southerly heading at an altitude of 15 000 ft. The aircraft was heard flying over the airport at this time. The flight recorder indicates that a procedure turn was made to the south of the airport in the vicinity of the city of Lagos and at its conclusion there was a second interruption in the descent following which the airspeed remained below the maximum for 25° of flap. At 0354 hours the aircraft passed over the airport northbound at an altitude of 9 000 ft maintaining the average rate of descent of 2 000 ft/min for a further 2 1/2 minutes. At 0356 hours a procedure turn was commenced at an altitude of about 5 000 ft during which the rate of descent was reduced to 1 500 ft/min. The track of the aircraft between its passage over the airport northbound and the commencement of the final procedure turn is almost coincident with the outbound track of the published VOR approach procedure. At 0357 hours Lagos approach control was informed by the aircraft that it was in the procedure turn and requested to give the wind conditions. In reply control stated that the wind was calm and this was acknowledged. Shortly afterwards approach control instructed the aircraft to report runway in sight and this was also acknowledged. On completion of the procedure turn at an altitude of 1 400 ft (a height above the airport of 1268 ft) the airspeed was reduced from 190 kt to a little less than 160 kt and the rate of descent was reduced to 900 ft/min. The heading was stabilized on 197° M and at 0359 hours the aircraft asked for the runway lights to be put on maximum brightness. Approach control replied that the runway lights were on low intensity non-variable. A transmitter switch was then heard but there was no subsequent message from the aircraft before it crashed about 8 1/2 miles north of the airport approximately on the extended centre line of the runway. All the occupants were killed and the aircraft caught fire immediately and was burnt out. All seven occupants were killed.

The airplane was completing a humanitarian flight to Uli, carrying a load of 10,5 tons of medicines. On final approach, the pilot-in-command encountered poor weather conditions when the airplane struck the ground and crashed in flames. All four occupants were killed and the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

On final approach to Port Harcourt Airport, the four engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances few hundred yards short of runway threshold. All five occupants were killed. They were completing a cargo mission on behalf of the Government of Biafra.