Dhl Boeing 727 Over-run Runway In Lagos

[ruma]

In heavy downpour this afternoon, a Boeing 727 belonging to DHL on landing over ran the runway 18L of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The four crewmember on board the ill fated aircraft walked out with minor bruises. Meanwhile the runway is closed.This is the second Runway to be closed in one month.

[reptile]

any idea who the drivers were?

[Rani]

PHOTO: http://p.airliners.net/photos/middle/7/0/2/1106207.jpg



DHL Cargo Aircraft Crashlands in Lagos
By Ndubuisi Francis, 09.08.2006

A B727 cargo aircraft belonging to a courier firm, DHL yesterday overshot the runway at the Murtala Muhammed Airport shortly after it landed on the 18L runway which got flooded at the Mafoluku axis occasioned by a heavy downpour.
Although the three crew members on board did not suffer any injury, the aircraft was badly damaged even as it destroyed a localiser, a navigational aid. The South African regisiterd aircraft was said to have arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos from Accra, Ghana at about 145pm. THISDAY gathered that having being cleared by the control tower to land, the aircraft was said to have landed on Link 3 of the runway considered unusual and in the process overshot the runway before hitting the edge of the runway. The aircraft which as at press time was still resting on its nose was yet to be removed from the runway.
Briefing newsmen on the accident, the chief executives of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Federal mAirports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr. Harold, Demuren, Mr. Roland Iyayi and Alhaji Muhammadu Yusufu respectively confirmed the accident but said there was no casualty among the three crew members.
Iyayi who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said investigations into the accident had commenced while efforts were being made to evacuate the aircraft from the runway, adding that Julius Berger had been contacted to evacuate the aircraft.
"They are going to study the site and try to find out what kind of heavy equipment that is required to remove the aircraft from the scene.
"In the meantime, the cabin on board the aircraft is being offloaded so that it becomes light so that by tomorrow (today) morning when Julius Berger comes in with their equipment, they can successfully move that aircraft away from the scene.
The Accident Investigations Prevention Bureau (AIPB) has already being contacted and they will be there at the scene of the accident.
"Meantime, the crew of the ill-fated aircraft are currently at the NCAA headquarters awaiting investigations for the initial interview. It is hoped that once this is concluded and the aircraft evacuated by tomorrow (today)", Iyayi said
The NAMA boss stated that the 18L runway would remain closed , adding that the localiser on the 36N right end of the runway was damaged by the aircraft.
He hwoever disclosed that NAMA was making immedioate arrangements torecover spares of the damaged aircraft from its stores "and it is hoped that by Monday we would have replaced the damaged localiser".
Iyayi pointed out that all the navigational aids at the airport on the 18L end and 18R runway were fully functional to ensure that aircraft could land safely at the airport.
Prodded on whether the downpour or other factors may have caused the accident, Iyayi said it was still early to be speculative, adding that investigations were concluded it would be wrong to say what the exact cause of the accident is.
However, THISDAY investigations reveled that the aircraft had to land at the 18L runway due to the closure of the 18R runway where FAAN engineers were said to be embarking on electrical repairs and fittings.
But THISDAY learnt a Notice to Airmen, which is a prior information to all users of the airport, had earlier been issued to eneble them use the second runway (18L).
As at about 5.30 pm, the three crew members of the DHL aircraft (all of them whitemen )were sighted at the NCAA premises with some staff of the Authority.
Since the two major air crashes of last year which claimed over 200 lives lost, there had not been any accident or major incident in the country until the yesterday DHL accident.
The 18L runway which is billed for complete rehabilitation soon recorded most of the incidents that occurred in the country last year.

[reptile]

.... the three crew members of the DHL aircraft (all of them whitemen )were sighted ....

Fantastic how double standards exist in Africa today. Can you imagine the outrage if a South African newspaper published the following: "The three members of the heist gang (all of them black men) were sighted...."

[Deskjocky]

Who is the operator of the A/C?

[I.R.PIRATE]

Yeah thats ridiculous reporting. Wold love to know the point behind mentioning that. Would it have been a different result if if they werent all whitemen? what a joke.

...bloody white pilots!

[putt for dough]

Yip it aint easy when it pisses down.

And boy can it come down on that side of the world :eek:

At least everybody is okay:ok:

[Airforce1]

Am sure tho local authoritys did the same as they did with the "Hydro 747"-1st things first, confiscate the CVR! to protect their asses. Any Tower controller seen running away the scene again?

[Rani]

Fantastic how double standards exist in Africa today. Can you imagine the outrage if a South African newspaper published the following: "The three members of the heist gang (all of them black men) were sighted...."

Agreed. But consider that above 99% of Nigerians are black, it seems not to be as politcally incorrect to mention their race. The excerpt suggests that the pilots were essentially foreigners... Bad-taste journalism, I still find...

[Flying Touareg]

if this accident had happened to a Nigerian airline with a Nigerian Air crew, alot of noise will be made, and i am sure blames will be put on the pilots for landing despite being asked not to by atc:}
So the the " white crew" should be lucky. There was nothing untoward in the statement made by the nigerian Press.It is a normal thing here,and i dont think it was a racist or derogatory statement. Whitemen are called 'oyibos' here:)

[oba_idan_amani]

I was at the airport at the time of the accident, sitting in my beach and watching the whole drama. A Virgin Nigeria B733 landed about 3 minutes before the DHL, and o boy, those guys did a good job, boy they were good.
I guess the dhl crew were low on fuel or something for them to decide to continue that approach. It was pissing hell men. Thank God they are alive, one reason I pray to God not to do cargo flying.

Oba Idan Amani

[reptile]

Whitemen are called 'oyibos' here:)

What would the direct translation of that be?

[Flying Touareg]

What would the direct translation of that be?
whiteman. It originated during the colonial times. i think it is ibo language.not sure.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

...one reason I pray to God not to do cargo flying.


Time we got those nice safe airline jobs, eh boet.....?:ok:

[Airforce1]

oyibos........what happened to "Masungo"? :p

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Different parts of Africa.

Down south it's Mlungu.

Don't really care what you call me as long as you don't call me late for Happy Hour.

[soggyboxers]

FT,
I think you'll find it actually originated from the Yoruba word, Oyinbo, which maybe one of our Nigerian contributors can more accurately translate. I wam told that it losely means foreigner (because many years ago, most foreigners were white). Yoruba is a tonal language and many owrds have more than one meaning, depending on how they are pronounced.

[coco-nuts]

Hello Oba, was that you who was told by tower to taxi back as the wind was too strong? That was me in the Virgin, and the f'o flew the approach and landing (a local pilot and a great stick). He flew it by the numbers and landed on the correct spot (thousand footer). I say no more. I will offer this though, i told tower to tell whoever was after us that there was lots of shear (besides the heavy rain) on final.

cheers from Lagos
coco

[oba_idan_amani]

Yeah Coco-nuts, that was we guys men. Bloody controller, we only want to be part of the action Gaddammit. Would love to meet you up for a drink (I will pay) to discuss that approach.

Oba Idan Amani

[AVSEC]

Saw the DHL aircraft today from the Mafoluku end of the motorway,and I wonder why no one has commented on how close to the perimeter fence the aircraft came to a halt,and the catastrophe that could have taken place if it breached that perimeter fence and crashed into the motor way.
Just food for thought,nothing more.Think they were extremely lucky.

[Engine Noise]

Yeah Coco-nuts, that was we guys men. Bloody controller, we only want to be part of the action Gaddammit. Would love to meet you up for a drink (I will pay) to discuss that approach.

Oba Idan Amani
what action oba idan?to risk the lives of pax?there was a wind shear as reported by the VK pilot and you still wanted to be part of the action?i wish i knew the airline you work for.

[oba_idan_amani]

What action do you think ?

Oba Idan Amani

[skygod]

Hi guys,
I'll take you guys a bit back in time, Last time chanchangi ran off runway 18 L . The pilots on chanchangi had there licences suspended 4 three (3) months. I wonder what NCAA is gonna do this time to the South African Pilots. However no repairs were made on runway 18L since the last accident. Its very obvious runway 18L has a major drainage problem, and perhaps reverted rubber hydroplaning.


Happy landings guys

[Rani]

The Chanchangi crew were warned about the conditions and apparently, instructed not to land. At least this is NCAA's version of the story...

[ZAZOO]

Was right there when the airplane went off the end of the runway that afternoon.

On my way to Dakar and in the crew bus along the perimeter road from the GA ramp and had just passed the point ere the plane ended up when the plane came screaming down the end of the runway when the crew bus driver screamed Sir sir look its not going to stop and I was like yes its going to stop and off it went and then we could hardly see much cos the rain was so heavy and it scooped up so much mud as it went off the end, off the road we had just passed thirty seconds before and nosed into the field and stopped.

Convinced the driver who was quite shaken and terrified to go near the plane to go straight to the airplane and called my operations people to call the tower and tell them what had just happened, approached the plane from the first officers side and saw they ere doing what looked like their checklist looking real calm. The fire service ere there in about three minutes and did a fine job, I told them to go check on the crew I checked the condition of the engines and wings with three of the firemen, looked fine and drove on to my flight relieved that the boys ere ok.It was still raining heavily.

I must say that watching the whole thing happen the crew put in a lot of effort trying to stop that bird, but the rain was just too heavy and I believe the runway must have been flooded cos the plane just kept gushing forward all the way till the nose wheel came off just as it hit the perimeter road, was not a pretty sight.

That front was wild I know cos I took off an hour or so after that and boy we ere thrown around like the ball in a ping ball game :eek: was not nice.

[Rani]

ZAZOO, can you confirm the 727 touched down about 3,500 ft from 18L threshold? That would explain why the aicraft over-run. Glad to know nobody was hurt, and that those fire trucks made it in 3 min. Must have impressed the South Africans :) (Mind you if I'm not mistaken international standards require about 1-2 min response time?)

update: (from wikipedia.org)

"The end of each runway has to be achieved in a response time of two minutes, and any part of the movement area has to be achieved in a response time not exceeding three minutes."

[ZAZOO]

Do not really know ere they landed, not looking then was on the phone but I can say that from the point I got sight of them they could have managed a stop on a dry day cos they ere braking man I can assure you about that, but as I said before that runway was well soaked and wet (the perimeter road was flooded when we ere coming round and I remember telling the driver to be careful with the water and low vis) and its possible they must have landed real smooth on touchdown and just could not hold her off due to the water, you could tell they tried everything :sad:

One more thing, just want to say here that it could have been anyone of us flying that afternoon and returning to Lagos, I have had to make some serious decisions about weather in this part of the world and its not easy sometimes. We should be grateful for the outcome of the folks onboard!!!
There ere times I had to make some hairy landings in some of our west coast airports in rain and you just have to know what your doing and that you need to stop that bird immediately you touchdown, sometimes its not that easy and a lot of other factors could just creep in and mess up your whole landing, oh yes believe me, for those who have not experienced it, its a whole different ball game.

It could have been worse, remember the airport road just down the field was quite busy in that rain.

Let us reflect and let the pros do their job concerning this issue.

Be careful guys and happy landings.

Zaz