crash in Nigeria

[ETOPS]

They do indeed have 737-200's. Here is an example:

[G-CPTN]

>quote:120 mile NORTH seems a helluva way in three minutes .
>So it's not that they travelled 120 miles north in 3 minutes - but that they apparently travelled 120 miles north after issuing a distress call.
>And does that explanation satisfy you? You don't think there might be one or two immediate questions left unanswered?

Bravo, Farmer 1, you have spotted the inconsistency.
I made the statement:-
quote:120 mile NORTH seems a helluva way in three minutes . . . What happened AFTER the distress call?
because it seemed 'strange' that ATC lost contact (and sight) of the a/c three minutes after take-off (when over the sea), wheras the wreckage was found 120 miles north of Lagos (inland).
Do we assume that ATC were unable to TRACK the a/c because it was below radar height, or had the transponder been inactivated. Surely, even if the latter they would have been able to follow an 'unidentified' a/c, and it must have taken at least 20 minutes to reach the crash location? No further transmission? Can't be the same as the Cypriot 737 surely?

(Note, I'm NOT suggesting that lack of oxygen or decompression are the cause.)

[PAXboy]

At GMT 15:51 the BBC is now reporting Confusion surrounds Nigeria crash

The plane was first reported to have been found on Sunday morning by a police search and rescue team using a helicopter near the rural town of Kishi, Oyo state, 400km (320 miles) from Lagos.

But officials later retracted statements about the plane's location after a TV crew said it had found the aircraft near the village of Lissa in Ogun state, more than 150km to the south.

Initial reports said at least 50 people were alive, but a Red Cross official at the crash site later told Reuters news agency there was no trace of any survivors.

"The plane is still burning. I can't confirm if there are any survivors, but there is no trace so far," Abiodun Orebiyi said.

"The plane was totally destroyed. It was scattered everywhere."

[G-CPTN]

And there was a suggestion of a cover-up with the Cypriot 737 . . .
!

CNN:-
The Red Cross told CNN the plane crashed near Lissa, about 30 km (20 miles) north of the commercial capital Lagos. Earlier reports had put the crash site further north in Oyo state.

More plausible distance to have travelled after SOS.

[G-CPTN]

Amazing what you can find on the Nettie:-
(Half-mill map of Lagos)
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/afric...s_tpc_1997.jpg
Who can locate the crash-site?

Larger map:-
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/nigeria.gif

View of crash-site:-
http://nm.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?a=5702&z=12

[Farmer 1]

What happened AFTER the distress call?

What happened DURING the distress call? i.e. what did it contain? What was the nature of the distress?

If nothing else, it seems to me an unlikely moment for terrorists to strike, just after take-off.

But what did ATC do after that?

When those on the spot cannot decide whether half of those on board survived or not, or even on an accurate position, I cannot help but think it will be a while before the truth is out.

I hope I am proved wrong.



Stagger, after rereading my post, I realise I was a tad sharp. My apologies.

[Flying Mech]

And so the Dark Continent claims another A/C. I have just heard on the radio that there were no survivors.

[ruma]

Finally the crash site was located to be 348 radial, 6.4nm to the LAG VOR. A sorry site i will say with papers and clothing scattered all over the place. From the look of things i saw on the site, the aircraft buried itself in a big hole dug from the impact. Actuators, part of the Registration label N-B-- was the only prove that the aircraft did crashed at the site. May their souls rest in Peace. Thanks to the helicopter operating companies. Bristow was there with the Puma, The two Police helicopters, The Navy, Aero Contractors and Caverton helicopters, Presidency too sent the Bell 412. The Dornier 228 was also used in the morning to do the racky to Kishi where it was earlier reported to have crashed. Investigation is still on though. It was a total loss. I am still wondering where was the NAMA helicopter during the search?

[lomapaseo]

I am still wondering where was the NAMA helicopter during the search?

Possibly at yet another different crash site

[G-CPTN]

> quote:I am still wondering where was the NAMA helicopter during the search?
>Possibly at yet another different crash site


Where there were 50 survivors?

[Stubenfliege 2]

Hi,

a bit more information from far away:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_3674377.htm

"LAGOS, Oct. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- All 117 people, including 111 passengers and six crew members on board a Nigerian airliner, which crashed shortly after takeoff from the country's commercial capital Lagos, may have died, officials said on Sunday.

"Bellview Airlines announces with deep regret the loss involving our aircraft B737-200A flight number B3210 of Saturday October 22, 2005 with a total of 117 souls on board," the airlines' chairman Tunde Yusuf told reporters.

"We have now located the accident site at Lissa village, 16 nautical miles (about 29.6 km) northwest of the Lagos airport," Yusuf said. "We have not been able to locate any survivor."

Fidelis Onyeyiri, director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed the news, saying that the plane, lost contact with control tower shortly after it took off at 8:35 p.m. (1930 GMT) on Saturday en route to Abuja, the capital.

"An alert was raised and search and rescue efforts commenced immediately," Onyeyiri said. "Sadly the aircraft crashed."

"Our preliminary appraisal suggests that the aircraft might have started stalling after passing flight level 130, lost control, then nosedived into the ground and created a huge crater into which it disappeared," he said.

"Unfortunately, there appear to be no survivors."

He did not blame the weather on the crash of the plane, which was manufactured in 1981 and still in serviceable condition. "Although there were some clouds are lighting toward the northwest, there were not severe enough to have prevented the successful takeoff of the flight." ""

Regards,

Stubenfliege

[vapilot2004]

Hey - 2-3 Posts gone missing here !?!!

Just thought it interesting that there were politicos on board.

Also, I read (correct me if I'm wrong) the airline had a good safety record for 10 years operating these old 737's (among other old birds)

[G-CPTN]

>Finally the crash site was located to be 348 radial, 6.4nm to the LAG VOR.
>16 nautical miles (about 29.6 km) northwest of the Lagos airport

So how on earth could they
a) not know where it was for eight hours?
b) 'find' it 300-odd miles away, then 120 miles away?
c) announce that there were @ 50 survivors

We're not talking deepest darkest Africa here, are we?
Surely, so close to the VOR (and burning) it must have been visible to many people?
I understand that there is a military base nearby too . . .

[Old King Coal]

G-CPTN - Mate, unless you've worked in Africa you have little, or no, idea of how it works !

[Jordan D]

BBC News this evening state no survivors ... story updated on earlier link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4368516.stm

Jordan

[the_hawk]

according to ASN it's 5N-BFN

MOD hint: http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...hreadid=195434

[TheShadow]

Question for Lightning Strike Experts

How probable is it that the aircraft's bonding is likely to be disrupted during a "C" or "D" servicing?

Assume here that it's a THIRD WORLD undertaking and that they are not too punctilious (or just don't understand the criticality of 100% integrity of the bonding for taking the potential whhack out of a lightning strike).

My understanding is that if the bonding isn't 100%, that you can expect to lose a number of systems at least - as the current can then invade the Faraday cage and get amongst the avionics, lighting and instrumentation - perhaps even have a total electrics if the GCR's are toasted..

As the FDR has been pulverized, I guess it's all very academic now anyway. I note from the soccer team's experience (link on airliners.net) that this airframe (5N-BFN) had a significant electrical history anyway.

TS

[G-CPTN]

From:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4370572.stm
After Sunday's crash, the government briefly closed down Daar Communications, which operates the local AIT television station and Ray Power radio, saying the stations had displayed gross professional misconduct in their reporting of the incident.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) said AIT had broadcast "close up shot of decapitated body parts".
Daar officials say the government was unhappy that the station broadcast pictures from the scene while aviation authorities were saying the plane had crashed much further north.
The authorities were also reportedly unhappy that AIT mistakenly said that the president's wife, Stella Obasanjo, who died in Spain on Sunday, was born in 1935, rather than 1945.

AND:-
He said those countries with poor air safety records generally had a problem with oversight by the authorities.
Many African countries had a problem finding enough resources and qualified personnel to ensure that rules were being obeyed, he said.

Also, why the reports were confused:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4372458.stm

[pprecious]

Who will Investigate?

Does Nigeria have a safety board or group such as the AAIB, or NTSB?

And if so, do they have the experience and resources to conduct a thorough investigation?

If not, as there were other nationalities involved could other nations Investigation boards also take part? I guess Boeing will already be involved already.

I was watching pictures on the news last night and there seemed to be quite a crowd of public all walking through and over the crash site picking through the remains, all of which would damage cruicial evidence I would expect.

[cactusbusdrvr]

From a sticker on a flightbag:

"Happiness is V1 at lagos"