Nigeria plane crash!!!

[nuclear weapon]

There's just been another plane crash killing all on board in my home country. I sometimes cant help but feel sorry for these poor chaps as they are at the mercy of some cowboy airlines.

[Airbubba]

Dec. 10, 2005, 9:15AM
Reports: Passenger Jet Crashes in Nigeria

The Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria — A Nigerian passenger jet crashed in the southern city of Port Harcourt on Saturday, killing almost all passengers on board, according to Nigerian media.

Nigerian radio station Rhythm FM said a plane of Nigeria's Sosoliso Airlines "crash landed and burst into flames," killing all but four on board. Officials were not immediately available to comment on the reports.

[Trentino]

looking around at their fleet it looks like it may have been a DC-9/MD-80.

terrible news again.

[Flexable]

The Sosoliso Airlines flight from Abuja was carrying 110 people when it “crash landed and burst into flames,” radio station Rhythm FM reported. Fifty-six bodies have been recovered, and seven people were taken to the hospital, the report said

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...International/

[flynverted]

Used to be N819US Reckon I've fuelled it a time or two.

In Sosoliso colors, but still with U.S., reg.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/473020/M/

[anjouan]

It's sad that there are so many crashes in Nigeria. The NCAA has set up a special task force after the Bellview crash, yet the death toll continues to mount. There are too many rumors of falsified paperwork concerning regular maintenance and checks for there not to be some truth there somewhere. The state of the runways, the lack of any radar either primary or secondary over almost the whole of the country is a complete disgrace and a telling indictment of the state of FAAN. When will something ever be done? Probably never unless some really high-ranking politician is killed in an air crash. The trouble is that there are a few decent operators who are trying really hard to bring Nigerian aviation into the 21st century, but they are being dragged into the mire and tarred with the same brush as the numerous cowboys. Nigerians will eventually have to learn that safety is not something you get for free and they'll have to pay realistic air fares to get a safe, dependable service. I pray that not too many more people will have to die before the whole aviation infrastructure is totally overhauled.

Here's a link to the VoA news of the crash, which seems to have claimed the lives of 107 people and has added another awful statistic to the shameful aviation safety record in Africa.

Sosoliso Crash port Harcourt

[josquin]

This plane was "The Smile of Spokane"...

[nuclear weapon]

Just over a decade ago. The son of our head of state Gen sani Abacha was killed in a plane crash along with his fiancee and a couple of his friends. You should ask yourself if the leaders dont care about the safety of thier own childeren how can they care about that of ordinary citizens. In the finacial times it was reported in1999 that £1.5 billion dollars was found in one of his foreign bank accounts. Do the maths that could buy 45 brand new 737's if you include discounts. The country could use the money to sign a maintainance contract with say british airways or lufthansa for well over a decade.. But as it is with the case of a lot of other things in Africa pigs are likely to start flying before that happens.

[LatviaCalling]

Many children aboard

CNN now says that about 75 passengers were Catholic school children returning home for the Christmas holidays. If true, how sad.

The photo run earlier may, or may not, be the plane involved. Everything points to a DC-9 and not an MD-82. The DC-9 mentioned, previously Continental, I believe was called "The River of Peace."

Let's see.

[sammypilot]

The Aviation Safety Network gives the registration of the aircraft as 5N-BFD, a DC9-32 built in 1972.

[captplaystation]

Some spotter with an appropriate book can probably tell me if that is ex BMI. Anyone?

[ou Trek dronkie]

Nigeria

It's dreadful news. May they rest in peace.

And when will something be done about the high rate of accidents in Africa ?

I wonder why I bother, as I know the chances are so low ?

oTd

[vapilot2004]

while I am not a 'spotter', I found this:

According to the database , it looks like S/N 47562/685 -

1972- Started life as N1345U Douglas Aircraft Company title
1973 - JAT - Yugoslav Airlines reg YU-AJH - bought in 12/73 and operated for 25 years
1998 - Abuja Shuttle (in 1998 Bellview AL).

2003 - Sosoliso AL bought her in 2/2003 - the aircraft was named the 'Rose of Enugu'

There are a few photos in JAT paint at A.net and 1 in Sosoliso colors.

[gen3]

Another sad day for Nigerian Aviation and another sad day for African Aviation.

As I understand it, the aircraft was already on the ground and suffered a lightening strike? Can anyone confirm this?

May their souls rest in peace.

[Crepello]

This is an horrific tragedy, especially given the number of schoolchildren that would appear to have died. Condolences to all involved.

Without wishing to sound insensitive, is there any information on the status of PHC airport? I assume it's closed until further notice but need to get there tonight... would prefer to avoid the road journey. Thanks.

[Tokunbo]

Isn't it a sad indictment of the state of the aviation industry in Africa in general that an awful crash which takes the lives of more than 100 people, so many of them children, has so far attracted only 14 replies and 4760 viewings on this thread, whilst an incident of South Western over-running a runway, with no loss of life, and Air Canada making an emergency landing, also with no loss of life, attracted 165 replies and 34038 viewings and 22 replies with 7332 viewings respectively?
The BBC and Sky were dominated for almost the whole day by a fuel depot fire in which nobody had died.
Maybe everyone is just suffering from African disaster fatigue?
It's still so very sad that the deaths of so many children attracts so little interest.

May all the departed Rest in Peace and my sincere condolences to all the grieving families.

[haughtney1]

Tukunbo..sadly I think its a combination of all the things you describe.

Sadly again...until such time as those in positions of authority stamp out the endemic corruption and culture of corner cutting, very few people on here will show anything other than empathy for the unfortunate victims of this accident as well as the further unknown number of victims who will lose their lives.

Africa needs to clean up its act (aviation wise) its really that simple

[Cargo Cult]

Tokunbo
I have previously made similar points about the response to both the recent Tehran crash and the (helicopter) situation in the Pakistan relief operations. In the latter case, (amazingly, given the time that had elapsed since the earthquake), as far as I'm aware not a single thread had been started in Rotorheads about one of the biggest helicopter operations in the world currently - not to mention the most critical in humanitarian terms.
We shouldn't be surprised. This is simply how the world is right now. Give it 50 years, maybe a lot less, and crashes that don't kill large numbers of Chinese won't make much of an impact (no pun intended) either...

[barit1]

from the Lagos Guardian:
UPDATED AT 18.00 GMT
Air-crashes: Govt sends perm sec on indefinite leave
President Olusegun Obasanjo yielded the anticipated big stick in the bid to reform the aviation sector, sending on "indefinite leave immediately'' the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation, Mr. TD Oyelade and the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Esai Dangabar. Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media) Mrs. Oluremi Oyo said Monday in a statement that "following the spate of regrettable accidents in Nigeriaâs aviation sector, President Obasanjo has ordered a critical assessment of institutional and human capacity deficiencies in the sector as a prelude to urgent reforms in the industry. Since a critical re-appraisal of the management of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its parastatals will fall under the purview of this exercise, President Obasanjo has also directed that that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. T.D. Oyelade, and the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Esai Dangabar should proceed on indefinite leave immediately.''Mrs. Oyo said that it is expected that Mr. Oyelade would hand over his duties to the most senior director in the ministry immediately.

[Rainboe]

I think some of you are trying to go into some posting 'score' mode to show how deeply people feel about incidents, and you really ought to stop this nonsense:

Isn't it a sad indictment of the state of the aviation industry in Africa in general that an awful crash which takes the lives of more than 100 people, so many of them children, has so far attracted only 14 replies and 4760 viewings on this thread, whilst an incident of South Western over-running a runway, with no loss of life, and Air Canada making an emergency landing, also with no loss of life, attracted 165 replies and 34038 viewings and 22 replies with 7332 viewings respectively?

When people have something to say and more details are known, they will probably say it, but until then thread scores is no way to judge anything! How else can you explain the absurd overlong thread running into hundreds of boring pages (it felt like it) over the BA non-incident of flying across the Atlantic on 3 engines (when most of the competition is doing it on 2)? If you are trying to make some racist accusation, make it, but don't use thread score as a basis!