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Boeing 737 Missing in Nigeria
Just heard on the news a Boeing 737 has gone missing on a flight from Lagos to somewhere else in Nigeria.
They are saying its crashed into the sea somewhere. Ned |
Bellview crashed after take off ???
Thats what CNN is reporting - no further news as of yet:
Nigerian jet missing after takeoff From CNN Africa Correspondent Jeff Koinange Sunday, October 23, 2005; Posted: 3:55 a.m. EDT (07:55 GMT) A number of high-level Nigerian officials are believed to have been on board.WATCH Browse/Search Nigerian airliner missing (2:37) RELATED • Map: Where the plane took off YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Nigeria Plane or Create Your Own Manage Alerts | What Is This? LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- A passenger jet with 114 people on board disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from the commercial capital of Lagos, and Nigerian authorities say the plane had gone down. The Boeing 737 left Murtala Muhammed airport at 7 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) Saturday and was en route to Nigeria's capital, Abuja -- a trip that should have taken about 50 minutes. The pilot of Flight 210 issued a distress call just before the control tower lost sight of the plane about three minutes after takeoff, officials said. Several high-level Nigerian officials were believed to be on board the privately-owned Bellview Airlines jet, the office of President Olusegun Obasanjo told CNN. They were headed to Abuja for a meeting. The Nigerian airline is popular with expatriates living in the West African nation and Western diplomats feared several their citizens could have been on board, according to Reuters news agency. The airline has been operating for about 10 years and has no record of any incidents. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said two helicopters had been scrambled to search for the plane. Relatives of those on board have also chartered a helicopter to look for the plane, while teams have been dispatched to search on land and in the water. A statement from Bellview Airlines, read on Nigerian television, said the airline was "not able to confirm the whereabouts of the aircraft." The twin-engine plane had a capacity of 120 people, but there were 114 on board, 108 passengers and 6 crew. A storm was passing through Lagos about the time the flight left, according to CNN's Jeff Koinange. There were widespread rains and thunderstorms around the southwestern corner of Nigeria, particularly near Lagos to Ibadan, said CNN's meteorologist Mari Ramos. Flights leaving Lagos fly out over the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, before turning back to reach Abuja, according to Koinange, so it is likely helicopters will be searching the Atlantic coast. If the plane did crash, Boeing spokeswoman Liz Verdie said they would work with the U.S. National Transportation Safety if invited to do so. The normally bustling airport in Lagos was quiet on Sunday morning as coordination efforts were underway to find the plane, Koinange said |
it is a sad day .the wreckage has been found.
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Location of wreckage?
Where has the wreckage been found?
Let us pray for survivors. |
Global,
Wreckage found in Oyo state north of Lagos. 50 or more survivors reported. Very sad. RIP. NEO edited to include survivors reported on Sky news. |
:sad: What a tragic night - A sad and tragic loss. :sad:
Our company's sincerest condolences to our colleagues at Bellview. RIP |
At least half the passengers survived.
However rescue got to the crash scene about 13 hours after the plane crashed. |
Only In Africa
Whale blamed for plane rumours
Cotonou - A sperm whale trapped in fishermen's nets made such a noise as it struggled that it sparked reports Sunday that the sound was that of a Nigerian jet crashing into the sea. In fact, Nigerian officials said, the plane crashed on dry land 400km north of the coast just after dark on Saturday after taking off from Lagos. Earlier, before the plane's wreckage had been found, fishermen from the neighbouring city of Cotonou had reported a mysterious large object dropping into the sea. "We were heading out to sea at around nightfall, when I saw a large mass fall into the water," fisherman Pierre Ahouansou told AFP on his return to the port of Cotonou in Benin. "It was a great big thing. It shook the surface of the water," he said. Ahouansou's apprentice, Pamphele Folly, confirmed the sighting. Both spoke to a reporter before hearing reports of the missing airliner. It was intially thought that the sound might have been that of the missing jet, but Chinese trawlerman Li Wong later cleared up the confusion. "In fact, we caught a sperm whale last night and it made a lot of noise as we hauled it in," he told AFP in Cotonou harbour. Nigerian officials said that a Boeing 737 airliner with 114 people on board disappeared a matter of minutes after taking off from Lagos at 19:50 (20:50 GMT) on Saturday. An airport spokesman said it was possible the plane had either crashed or been hijacked. |
It is very sad to realize that it takes a crash (and loss of human life) to convince politicians in Abuja that the TRACON (Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria) project is imperative for safety and disaster management. Early pinpointing of the crash sight might have averted MANY deaths. The survivors had to wait an agonizing 12 hours to be rescued.
Condolences to Bellview + relatives of the victims. |
I have read your posts many times Rani and it is quite clear that you have lots of info on Nigeria.
So would you say that many more people could have survived was there full radar coverage. I mean it was nightfall already but saying that the first reports showed that it was crashing in the sea ... that is a long way from the accident site ? It is too late - it remains a tradegy but hopefuly somebody will wake up now :( |
News item
'Half survived plane crash'
23/10/2005 14:02 - (SA) Related Articles Whale blamed for plane rumours Missing Nigerian plane crashed Mystery surrounds missing plane Missing plane: Crash feared Plane with 114 aboard missing Abuja - More than half of the 116 passengers and crew on board a crashed Nigerian airliner survived, a spokesperson for the local state government told AFP. Adeola Oloko, Oyo State's chief press secretary, said that an emergency broadcast had called for all medical personnel in the region to head to the crash site to tend to the injured. The missing Nigerian airliner crashed in a remote rural area 400km north of Lagos, an airline official told AFP on Sunday. The plane took off at about 19:50 (20:50GMT) on Saturday from Lagos bound for Abuja and rapidly vanished from radar screens, police and aviation officials said. Initially, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (Faan) said they suspected that the Bellview Airline Boeing 737 jet had plunged into the Atlantic as it looped round over the sea before turning north. |
Race to save crash survivors
http://www.news24.com/Images/Photos/...2223_plane.jpg
Nigerian rescue teams raced to recover injured survivors on Sunday after an airliner with 117 people on board crashed in a remote rural area. "More than half of the people on board survived," said Adeola Oloko, chief press secretary to the government in Oyo State north of Lagos, where the aircraft came down, announcing a major rescue effort. A message had been broadcast across Oyo State calling for all health workers to make their way to the crash site in the town of Kishi, 400km north of Lagos, he said. The Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 airliner took off at 19:50 (18:50GMT) on Saturday from Lagos on a scheduled service bound for Abuja and rapidly vanished from radar screens, aviation officials said. "We lost contact with it about three minutes after take-off," said a Bellview staff member at the firm's office in Lagos domestic airport. Officials initially said that there were 116 people on board, but a copy of the flight manifest passed to reporters listed 111 passengers and six crew. President Olusegun Obasanjo's office called for Nigerians to pray for the victims and said that emergency reponse teams and rescue helicopters had been sent to the scene. The president's spokesperson, Remi Oyo, confirmed that there had been survivors, but could not say how many. "God has been gracious, but I don't have the figures yet," she said. A spokesperson for the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), the 15 nation regional bloc, said the group's deputy executive secretary for politics, defence and security, Malian General Cheik Oumar Diarra, and a Ghanaian finance officer, Emmanuel Quaye, were on board the flight. It was not clear whether they were among the survivors. Diplomats said that they had been told that the plane was missing. It was not clear whether any foreign citizens were on board but the service is popular with expatriates travelling to Abuja. Nigeria has a terrible record for aviation safety and has been the scene of numerous crashes, including an accident in May 2002 when an airliner plunged into a suburb of Kano, killing 115 on board and scores more on the ground. There have been a number of recent near misses, including an incident in July in which an Air France jet arriving in the oil city of Port Harcourt from Paris hit a herd of cows. No-one was hurt in the incident, but the plane was badly damaged. Very early for rumours but lost contact 3 minutes after take off and crashed 400 km away - eischhh does not calculate unless total loss of electrics ? To top the tradegy I see the Nigerian First Lady died while undergoing surgery in Spain. RIP |
Red Cross: THERE ARE NO SURVIVORS!
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Very sad day for Nigerian aviation, here was a promising airline. I really hope the authorities do their best to rescue effort. Rumours at the moment suggest it was Ghanian f/o and a Nigerian Captain flying.
ACN_Pilot |
Conspiracy Theory
According to the Passenger Manifest, Major Joseph Haydon (American citizen) and head of the OCD (Office of Defense Cooperation, which is basically the military liason with the Nigerian Army/Air Force) was on board.
Major Haydon was one of 5 white passengers. I hope to God that this was not an Al-Qaeda attack, or any other conspiracy for that matter. However, the significance of this fact is chilling. |
My thoughts and prayers are with all involved.
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disregard
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Captain Imasuen Lambert - Okada, Albarka, very experienced
F/O Eshun Ernest Cabin Crew Etim Victoria Ukuwelah Lulu Queen Ozekhome Engineer Sanni Steve |
30 MAR 2005 Engine fire on takeoff causes grass fire at Kano
An engine fire on a departeding Boeing 737 caused grass on the Kano Airport, Nigeria to catch fire. The resulting bush fire caused serious damage to the transformers and electrical cables serving runway 24. The Bellview Airlines B737 5N-BFN landed safely back at Kano without injury to the 96 passengers and five crew members. Was it the same plane that crashed? It also seems there are alot of questions that need to be answered especially considering the fact that the weather was really bad with serious thunderstorm at the time.I wonder how regular is the weather update in Nigeria? |
Amadu, I dont think its right to put the names on the net.
Regards DMan |
dman, apologies to all. withdrawn. i share the same grief and sorrow though, with due respect.
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OK I know that sometimes the word LOGIC is absent from the Nigerian environment but here is a simple question:
If the a/c was cleared to take off rwy 01R and cleared for Abuja, what on earth were those AIR FORCE helicopters searching for in the Atlantic Ocean? Did it not occur to them that it would be wiser to check with FAAN and ATC re the flight plan instead of relying on rumors? Nomatter the cause of the accident, I believe we all agree that the pace and overall organization of the s+r mission operation was both pathetic and despicable. It is about time that the Govt. and its agencies took disaster management seriously. |
A/C Registration & History
5N-BFN
I believe it was leased from GECAS. Reported in the media to have underwent a C-check at Royal Air Marcoc 3 months ago, and an A-check 10 hours prior to its ultimate take off. Does an A-check include engine inspections? |
Condolences to all who have lost family or friends in this accident.
I have flown with Bellview on several occassions, and on one occassion had a lengthy delay in Accra whilst the crew waited for the storm to move off the intended route and away from Lagos. Proffessional in all but the information flow to waiting passengers. Having seen the pictures of the crash site in papers this morning, I am amazed anyone could have thought there were survivors. For news agencies to give false hope to anxious relatives is not good. |
Bad day, especially for Nigerian aviation, but for Nigeria at all.
The Nigerian president's wife died during a surgery in Spain. My thoughts are with all families affected by the two events. |
Private TV station banned
Abuja - Nigerian authorities have banned the private television station whose reporters were the first to find the site where an airliner crashed killing all 117 on board, the national broadcasting commission announced on Monday. Reporters from Lagos-based African Independent Television (AIT) were the first to reveal on Sunday that the Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 had come down a short distance outside Lagos in the village of Lissa, a cocoa growing area near President Olusegun Obasanjo's farm in Otta. Earlier, several Nigerian officials had incorrectly told journalists that the crash site was in Kishi, a remote rural area 400km further north. AIT's report allowed many reporters travelling to the scene to alter course and head for the true location. Reports 'confusing' Despite this, a statement from the national broadcasting commission accused Nigerian outlets in general of causing "confusion" in the international media through their reporting. The statement also said AIT in particular had been guilty of a breach in reporting standards in its depiction of dismembered bodies at the crash site in a filmed report and in confirming that no-one had survived before receiving an official statement to that effect. "The commission is constrained to order the temporary shut down of the operations of Daar Communications Ltd, operators of AIT National and International and Raypower FM stations, pending further professional assessment of the status of their licences," the statement said. AIT television was off air on Monday, as was Daar's popular FM radio station. A Daar executive said the station stood by its report and would be appealing the ban, but would abide by the commission's decision until the dispute was resolved. http://www.news24.com/Images/Photos/...02610Crash.jpg The flight data recorders on board a crashed Nigerian airliner have not yet been found, the country\'s aviation minister said at the crash site on Monday, contradicting an earlier statement by police. "We are still investigating," said Babalola Borisade. "We have not found the black box. It\'s believed to be inside the body of the aircraft, which is buried under the ground." The minister said that boxes would not be dug up until forensic scientists - including two experts who are due to arrive from the United States - had examined what remained of the Boeing 737 on the ground in order to find the cause of the crash. On Sunday, Police Commissioner Tunji Alapini told AFP that the boxes had been recovered when his men arrived at the scene. Several statements made by Nigerian officials since the crash have later proved to be mistaken. Black box date recorders are designed to survive an aircraft and keep an electronic record of cockpit conversations and instrument readings in order to help investigators discover the cause of air accidents. All 117 passengers and crew on board the Bellview Airlines flight from Lagos to Abuja were killed on Saturday when the plane crashed into a cocoa grove shortly after take-off. There has been no official news on the cause of the crash. Local witnesses told AFP the jet appeared to explode in mid-air before it plunged to the ground. |
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More than half of the passengers survived? The boxes were (were not) recovered? Your broadcast license is suspended for telling the truth? (How dare you?) ____________________________________________________ Doesn't seem like the CAA of Nigeria is very independent. Certainly they aren't professional. Oil will be the only reason if Virgin-Nigeria is allowed to operate to the USA. H@ll, South Africa itself is on the borderline and we're a whole lot better than that. Seems like the more water under the bridge the more the scenery remains the same. Personally I'm disgusted. These were real people with still living loved-ones. Shame again! |
Nigeria is to review the safety of the ageing fleet of passenger jets operated by its small private airlines following a crash, which killed 117 people, President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Tuesday. An investigation has been launched to find out why a Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 plunged to the ground and disintegrated shortly after taking off from Lagos on Saturday, but the president said that checks must also be carried out on the maintenance standard of other planes. "I have already ordered a full and thorough investigation into the cause of the air crash with a view to ensuring that this sort of calamity does not repeat itself," Obasanjo said, in a televised address to the nation. "In addition, I have directed the aviation ministry to ensure strict compliance with maintenance and operations requirements and standards for all aircraft in order to plug loopholes and ensure passenger safety," he said. Second-hand jets Domestic routes between Nigeria's larger cities are connected by a network of passenger flights run by almost a dozen private airlines operating second-hand jets, mostly Boeing 727 and 737 airliners. Most of the airlines are not licensed to fly internationally but some, including Bellview and the country's new British-owned flag-carrier Virgin Nigeria, serve west African capitals and fly to London. Several major international airlines operate flights to Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. The Nigerian aviation industry has a bad safety record and minor accidents are relatively common. In July alone, three airliners were damaged after landing on Lagos' poorly surfaced runway while an Air France jet ploughed into a herd of cows as it touched down in Port Harcourt. In May 2002, a Nigerian passenger jet crashed into a crowded suburb shortly after taking off from Kano airport in the north of the country, killing 115 on board and scores more on the ground. |
IG: Bellview Plane May Have Exploded
Hey, the story below is beginning to confirm our fears!!I knew that plane disintegrated before crashing. www.thisdayonline.com Police cordon off crash site By Godwin Ifijeh, 10.24.2005 The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Sunday Ehindero, said yesterday that investigation into the crashed Bellview flight 210 would be exhaustive, alleging that there was an explosion before the aircraft came down. Ehindero, who made the disclosure at the scene of the crash during a visit there in company of the Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel and senior police officers, said intelligence report indicate that the ill-fated plane came down with all the 117 persons on board killed after an explosion. Though Ehindero will not give further details, the police warned that those who have no business going near the crash site should keep off. The police, which issued the warning through the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), 'B' Depart-ment (Operations), Mr. Mike Okiro, who was at the site much earlier, said the police have cordoned off the scene and would not tolerate any one, that has no business being there to come near until investigations into the crash was completed. Okiro said rescue operation was over as it was obvious from the evidence at the site that there was nothing more to be salvaged, the passengers on board the aircraft, having all died. Governor Gbenga Daniel on the other hand, who had cut short his visit to the United States, to race back to the country on hearing the twin tragedy of the death of the First Lady, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, and the crash of the Bellview aircraft in the little village of Lisa, near Ifo, in Ifo Local Government Area of his State, was horrified by the terrifying sight at the scene. Daniel had after inspecting the scene said “I am not an aviation expert, but I think what happened must have happened mid air.” The Governor prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims. |
Inflight explosion
It does seem as if a catastrophic inflight explosion shortly after take off led to the aircraft crashing down in neighboring Ogun State.
This would explain why some clothing articles were found with not a single drop of blood on them, as an inflight explosion may have caused a rapid aircraft disintegration and less bodily injury. If this is what happened, then it is highly possible that more aircraft debris may be found elsewhere. The question now is why did the major section of the aircraft crash down with such force as to cause a 20-m deep crater (or is it 20 meters wide?). Perhaps the ground is soft clay? |
There were 10 Ghanaians on the plane.
9 of them were flying ACC-LOS-ABV while the 10th was the F/O. Also a british and 2 german confirmed |
sadly,the f/o s wife was also aboard.there are rumours that the captain s name was not the name in the flight plan submitted.
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Lightning + A/C disasters
Some food for thought:
"...On December 8, 1962 lighting hit a Pan American Boeing 707 in a holding pattern over Elkton, Md. The lightning caused a spark that ignited fuel vapor in a tank, causing an explosion that brought the plane down, killing all 81 aboard. " USA TODAY ARTICLE http://www.usatoday.com/weather/reso...irplanes_x.htm |
Sadly guys,
With due respect,the bellview pilots have been recorded to have been flying an average of 170 hours a month and the captain in question flew 202 hours just two months ago and was fined by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. The fines for all pilots concerned was paid up ny the owner of bellview,who inturn,did not inform the pilots that the authorities were now frowning at such blatant disregard for air safety! It really makes one wonder what it is that makes pilots do stuff like that! Is it the money? Being The almighty company boy? Puzzles me though! Rumour has it that the airplane was rejected by the crew who actually brought the airplane into lagos before its departure for abuja. I sincerely would like to extend my condolences to the families affected. It is a sad event, but, the truth must be told! I was given the info by a petrified pilot who would rather remain unknown. Guys,stuff like thiss MUST STOP on your end of the globe! It certainly sends the wrong message to the rest of the world!:ok: |
Instead of relying on rumours why dont you wait for the investigation outcome, instead of blaming the airline. Above is irrelevent anyways. A/c had an A-check the day of the crash and all was in order.
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An A-check is nothing more than some paperwork and a "deeper" visual inspection.
I have seen A/C with more problems after a check than before... And I imagine the nigerian check, the A/C has to fly so we just delete the HIL items waiting that they appear again, and sorry to say but this kind of practice is even true in Europe! |
I think its best to wait for the result of the enquiry. The engineer in question is very good (I know him), am sure he wont sign out the airplane and step into it, if he's unsure about its status.
Regards DMan |
dman,your pm box is full.
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Possibly not the place to say this – but I’ve known quite a few planes returned to Hanger by Line after a check, (not all companies would allow this) so having just had a check doesn’t rule anything out.
In fact in some places (not only in Africa) watching some people trying to find all their tools after a plane has gone can be scary but fun. Especially scary if your the one who can't find something. One interesting point is we seem often to get “pilot error” / “maintenance fault” / weather etc as causes (sometimes the cause – sometimes contributory) rarely “Company policy”. NOT saying anything about this crash – just general comments. On this one I will say the Nigerians should get NTSB involved big time – hope they do. |
With due respect,the bellview pilots have been recorded to have been flying an average of 170 hours a month and the captain in question flew 202 hours just two months ago and was fined by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. The fines for all pilots concerned was paid up ny the owner of bellview,who inturn,did not inform the pilots that the authorities were now frowning at such blatant disregard for air safety! |
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