TheShadow
19th Oct 2006, 02:51
DC9 crashed on landing because the local authorities were saving power by keeping the airfield lighting off - and the pilot became disoriented in poor visibility, missed the runway (killing 107).
Only in Africa.
.
Date: 10 DEC 2005
Time: 14:08
Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Operator: Sosoliso Airlines
Registration: 5N-BFD .
"Inadequate facilities, weather killed 107 in Nigerian plane crash"
dpa German Press Agency
Published: Wednesday October 18, 2006
.
Abuja- Inadequate facilities and bad weather caused the deaths of 107 persons aboard a DC-9 aircraft that crashed in Port Harcourt, in the Niger Delta, last December 10, the Nigerian government was told in a report Wednesday. There were just two surviors among the 102 passengers and seven crew on board the aircraft owned by an indigenous operator, Sosoliso Airlines.
It crashed at the Port Harcourt airport and burst into flames during a heavy downpour.
Seventy-five of those aboard were children of a top Catholic secondary school, the Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, who were returning home for the year's Christmas break.
The crash report, submitted by Nigeria's Ministry of Aviation, said that "basic meteorological equipment for measuring visibility and cloud conditions are lacking at the Port Harcourt airport."
It added: "The crew asked approach personnel whether it was raining over the airport, but the approach controller reported negative rain."
It said: "The aircraft on final approach encountered adverse weather with change in wind speed and direction, while visibility was reducing in thunderstorm and rain."
It noted that although the airfield lighting was operational and were in serviceable condition at the time of the crash "they were not switched on, (in order) to conserve scarce funds and resources to maintain power supply in the area".
The report stressed the need for uninterrupted power supply in the airport area and also the need for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to monitor and strictly enforce standards on airfield lighting, fire cover and aviation personnel training.
It said because of poor visibility and incorrect weather report by officials, the plane miscalculated the landing approach and its tail section made contact with the grass strip between the runway and the taxiway.
The ministry added that at about 60 metres from the first impact, the rear part of the fuselage impacted heavily with an exposed concrete drainage culvert where its number two engine and the rear staircase became detached.
"The aircraft disintegrated and caught fire along its path, spanning over 790 metres. The cockpit section with the forward fuselage was found at a further 330 metres from the rest of the wreckage trail on the taxiway, giving a total wreckage distance of 1,120 metres," it said.
The crash was the seventh in Nigeria last year. The aircraft in question was 37 years old and the operator its ninth owner.
© 2006 dpa German Press Agency
Only in Africa.
.
Date: 10 DEC 2005
Time: 14:08
Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Operator: Sosoliso Airlines
Registration: 5N-BFD .
"Inadequate facilities, weather killed 107 in Nigerian plane crash"
dpa German Press Agency
Published: Wednesday October 18, 2006
.
Abuja- Inadequate facilities and bad weather caused the deaths of 107 persons aboard a DC-9 aircraft that crashed in Port Harcourt, in the Niger Delta, last December 10, the Nigerian government was told in a report Wednesday. There were just two surviors among the 102 passengers and seven crew on board the aircraft owned by an indigenous operator, Sosoliso Airlines.
It crashed at the Port Harcourt airport and burst into flames during a heavy downpour.
Seventy-five of those aboard were children of a top Catholic secondary school, the Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, who were returning home for the year's Christmas break.
The crash report, submitted by Nigeria's Ministry of Aviation, said that "basic meteorological equipment for measuring visibility and cloud conditions are lacking at the Port Harcourt airport."
It added: "The crew asked approach personnel whether it was raining over the airport, but the approach controller reported negative rain."
It said: "The aircraft on final approach encountered adverse weather with change in wind speed and direction, while visibility was reducing in thunderstorm and rain."
It noted that although the airfield lighting was operational and were in serviceable condition at the time of the crash "they were not switched on, (in order) to conserve scarce funds and resources to maintain power supply in the area".
The report stressed the need for uninterrupted power supply in the airport area and also the need for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to monitor and strictly enforce standards on airfield lighting, fire cover and aviation personnel training.
It said because of poor visibility and incorrect weather report by officials, the plane miscalculated the landing approach and its tail section made contact with the grass strip between the runway and the taxiway.
The ministry added that at about 60 metres from the first impact, the rear part of the fuselage impacted heavily with an exposed concrete drainage culvert where its number two engine and the rear staircase became detached.
"The aircraft disintegrated and caught fire along its path, spanning over 790 metres. The cockpit section with the forward fuselage was found at a further 330 metres from the rest of the wreckage trail on the taxiway, giving a total wreckage distance of 1,120 metres," it said.
The crash was the seventh in Nigeria last year. The aircraft in question was 37 years old and the operator its ninth owner.
© 2006 dpa German Press Agency