Any BAC 1-11s still stored at Jos? [Archive]

Newforest2

23rd Jun 2008, 16:16

This is the information published in December 2007.

In Nigeria it appears that there has been no escape for any more stored 1-11s as expected. The two airframes reported as being serviceable last year, 5N-BCG and 5N-BDV have not been heard of again. The former Chrome Air 1-11 in storage at Lagos 5N-UJC appears to have been broken up. This still leaves as many as thirty to forty airframes scattered around the country in a derelict state! The remaining Okada Air fleet of nineteen 1-11s still remain intact at Benin City but are extremely derelict! A 1-11 grave yard would some it up nicely!!!

http://www.bac1-11jet.co.uk/bac1-11jet.co.uk%20News.htm

chuks

27th Jun 2008, 11:01

Last time I was there, about three-four years ago, I guess, there was one wrecked BAC1-11 off at the side of the ramp in Jos, still sporting its Okada colours. I think it had been wrecked in the usual way, trying to land in nil visibility in heavy rain because its nose showed heavy damage. "Too late on the round-out, Hoskins!"

Are you writing a book?

As you may know, the Nigerian regulatory solution was to ban the 1-11 from passenger flying after so many crashes, even though there is no basic problem with the aircraft itself, which is built like a tank.

It was just a matter of the operators not holding to the required maintenance schedules plus people insisting on trying to land in impossible conditions but it was less embarassing to blame the aircraft, built by colonialists, than to insist on the Nigerian operators sticking to the rules. Rules? Anyway, it was banned, to be replaced by the clapped-out 737-200 as the Tokunbo of choice for the local airlines. From what I read here the basic problems remain.

If you are a connoisseur of wrecked BAC1-11s then a trip to Nigeria should be worthwhile. The best one I saw was from Sokoto. They had one that had ended up by the side of the main road, minus its gear. (That in itself was a powerful argument for the then-current Nigerian notion that it was far, far better to be lucky than skilled; it had run off the side of the runway at the wrong airport, cleaned its gear off in a ditch, thus narrowly clearing a high-voltage power line to come to a graceful stop by the side of the road. YOU try that some time and see how far you get!)

You could see people in there taking their ease with the plug exits gone, just sat in the comfy seats watching the world pass by on the main road. I suppose it was chopped up and made into frying pans by now but it would have made a very nice roadside restaurant, I thought.

If you do make it to Jos Airport be sure to have a look at the airport restaurant kitchen. There used to be the usual mammies in there cooking lunch over wood fires in great big, black kettles, a sight not to be missed, although I usually took due care to bring my own sandwiches!