Capt. Salim M. Verjee (Photos: Salim Verjee and Kenya Airways) On August 14th 2008 a Turkish Airlines Airbus A310-300, registration TC-JDA, was performing flight TK1123 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Lagos (Nigeria) with 196 passengers, but went missing while on approach to Lagos at around 10pm Lagos local time. The airplane later landed at the airport of Lome (Togo), about 120nm (nautical miles) west of Lagos.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Togo reported the following day, that the airplane had lost all navigation instruments and communication radios, so that the commander decided to turn west along the coast knowing, that they had chances to visually find the airports of Cotonou (Benin), Lome (Togo) or Accra (Ghana). An Air France flight taking off Lome had prompted, that the runway lights at Lome were switched on, enabling the Turkish Airlines crew to see the runway. As TK1123 descended and maneouvered very low over Lome in order to not loose sight of the runway again, the tower controllers understood the airplane was in trouble. TK1123 landed safely on Lome's runway, the crew not knowing, where they had actually touched down.
Turkish Airlines confirmed the report by Togo's CAA and continued, that a maintenance crew was flown to Lome to examine the aircraft and identify the cause of the failure, but "nothing important" was found. The airplane then flew to Lagos and performed the return flight TK1124 to Istanbul with 182 passengers, arriving in Istanbul on August 16th.
After The Aviation Herald published that initial report (see also
Incident: Turkish Airlines A310 near Lagos on Aug 14th 2008, failure of all navigation instruments and radios), two independent listeners on the frequency of Accra (Ghana) wanting to remain unnamed reported, that the crew of TC-JDA could be heard on Accra's frequency 130.90 MHz (VHF) until touchdown in Lome (around 90nm east of Accra), suggesting that at least one VHF radio remained available to the crew of flight TK1123. The crew was in radio contact with Accra's Air Traffic Control and several other flights, especially a Kenya Airways flight. The listeners reported the quality of transmissions as generally good (signal quality mostly between 4 and 5, occasionally down to 3 - 5 being very good and 1 being very poor), however contact between Accra and TK1123 was lost temporarily several times, presumably because TK1123 flew too low. Kenya Airways acted as a relay in these situations.
No transmissions from TK1123 were heard on the emergency frequency 121.50 MHz or the broadcast frequency 126.90 MHz.
Accra wasn't able to locate the airplane on their radar, neither as primary nor secondary target. Both Accra and Lagos have (primary) radar facilities, which are described as rather good in comparism with other locations around Africa.
Both listeners said, that the Kenya Airways crew had become very instrumental and decisive in the rescue of the Turkish Airlines Airbus A310.
Based on those listener reports The Aviation Herald contacted Kenya Airways as well as Turkish Airlines asking for interviews with the crews. Turkish Airlines responded, that they won't comment this flight at this time due to the ongoing investigation. Kenya Airways established contact and permitted The Aviation Herald to conduct an interview with their flight crew, Captain Salim M. Verjee and First Officer John Mwaura, who were piloting their Boeing 737-700 as flight KQ513 from Dakar (Senegal) via Bamako (Mali) to Nairobi (Kenya) and tuned Accra's frequency 130.90 MHz on their leg to Nairobi.
Captain Verjee told The Aviation Herald in the interview, that after joining the Accra frequency overhead NANGA (boundary in the northwest between Burkina Faso and Ghana) he heard an Egypt (?) Air asking Turkish 1123, if he was in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) at 5000 feet and if he could see the landing lights of Egypt Air at 10000 feet in VMC. "I thought, it was a little weird to hear such a conversation between two flights on an active ATC frequency. It then dawned on me after a few more exchanges, that the Turkish 1123 was unsure of his position as he had lost some critical navigation equipment and had just done a go-around in Lagos a little while ago."
Accra could not see TK1123 on their radar, neither as secondary nor primary target. During the exchanges TK1123 descended to 2000 feet to search for an airport or town.
The communication between TK1123 and Accra was hampered by other aircraft calling in e.g. asking for different flight levels, while TK1123 could be heard "piping in requesting assistance: 'Accra, please help us!'" This prompted Captain Verjee to chime in: "Can you please just keep quiet, Turkish has declared an emergency! Leave the frequency open for him!", which silenced 10 to 15 flights on that frequency.
Upon request of remaining endurance TK1123 reported, that they had fuel left for about 30 minutes. Capt. Verjee made a mental note, that it was 10 minutes past the hour, so TK1123 would run out of fuel at 40 minutes past the hour. He couldn't recall the hour though.
Capt. Verjee then suggested to Accra to have the airport fire up flares (knowing that a military base is close by the airport), suggesting that 1123 would definitely see them. "Yes, Yes, please, send the flares!" was the response from TK1123. Accra acknowledged and thanked for the suggestion. A few minutes later 1123 asked, what had happened to the flares, and commented, that they saw ships around them.
The crew of KQ513 was now pondering about where TK1123 might be about. Capt. Verjee was concerned, that his suggestions may distract or mislead TK1123, but F/O Mwaura argued, that he should go ahead as TK1123 wouldn't have a chance anyway. The information, that TK1123 saw ships around them - upon request also confirming to see water all around - convinced Capt. Verjee, that TK1123 must have been south of the coast somewhere in the vicinity of the Bight of Benin, so he suggested, that TK1123 should turn north using their standby compass and they'd soon see the lights of the coast line. TK1123 acknowledged and turned north.
KQ513 then checked, whether TK1123 would have an ADF (Automatic Direction Finder, the needle of which points towards a tuned radio station) and provided the frequency 409kHz of the Accra NDB (Non-Directional Beacon), but TK1123 responded, that their ADF had failed as well.
Time was running, F/O Mwaura looked at his clock and realised, that only 10 minutes endurance were left. "You have only 10 minutes endurance left, right?" TK1123 agreed.
Capt. Verjee suggested now, that TK1123 should prepare for ditching in close proximity to those ships before they'd run out of fuel. They'd be better off, if they did a controlled ditch with the ships being able to immediately provide assistance, rather than after engines flaming out. TK1123 acknowledged.
Time was rapidly approaching 40 minutes past the hour. Suddenly TK1123 came over the radio: "I see lights!"
TK1123 asked KQ513 to relay to Accra, that they should flash the runway lights. Accra confirmed, that they were turning their runway lights off and on, but TK1123 couldn't see the runway.
A few seconds later TK1123 "blurted out they'd seen a runway". Accra asked KQ to relay, that TK1123 was cleared to land on either runway 21 or 03, winds were 210 at 10 knots. Then the frequency was kept quiet to not distract TK1123 during their landing.
After a while, 42 minutes past the hour, Capt. Verjee asked: "1123, have you landed?" and received a "YES!"
"You have NO IDEA how my first officer nor myself felt that instant ... It was a feeling that'll remain with us forever and is something, I can't explain! IT'S A SPECIAL FEELING!" Capt. Verjee described the emotions on board of KQ513 immediately after that exchange.
Capt. Verjee relayed to Accra, that TK1123 had landed, to which the puzzled reply was "Not in Accra, they haven't!"
After a short time Accra came back asking KQ513 to tell TK1123, that they had landed in Lome and the frequency there was 120.7.
"We nearly died of laughter imagining Lome tower's surprise seeing an Airbus land without any communication whatsoever. The laughter was more of a relief over the good outcome though!" Capt. Verjee closed his account of that night.
The Aviation Herald wishes to express congratulations, respect and thanks to Captain Salim M. Verjee and First Officer John Mwaura!