'Plane crash at Lagos, Nigeria
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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So, despite the OP getting all the other details wrong (not Arik Air, not landing) he seems to have got this bit correct.
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You couldn't make it up
Agagu was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo as his first minister of Aviation in 1999.
In September 2008 a Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the Transportation Sector summoned Agagu and others as part of its probe of the entire transportation sector, to answer questions about his tenure as Minister of Aviation.[6] On 5 March 2009 Agagu was questioned by the EFCC for Alleged N25Bn spent on OSOPADEC during his administration, while the new administration led by Governor Olusegun Mimiko also commenced probe of contracts awarded in the last six months of his administration.
He died on Friday 13, Sept 2013 in Lagos. On 3rd of October 2013, a day before his burial the plane, Associated Aviation Flight 361 carrying his corpse together with 13 passengers and 7 crew members crashed in Lagos.
In September 2008 a Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the Transportation Sector summoned Agagu and others as part of its probe of the entire transportation sector, to answer questions about his tenure as Minister of Aviation.[6] On 5 March 2009 Agagu was questioned by the EFCC for Alleged N25Bn spent on OSOPADEC during his administration, while the new administration led by Governor Olusegun Mimiko also commenced probe of contracts awarded in the last six months of his administration.
He died on Friday 13, Sept 2013 in Lagos. On 3rd of October 2013, a day before his burial the plane, Associated Aviation Flight 361 carrying his corpse together with 13 passengers and 7 crew members crashed in Lagos.
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Still some confusion on the exact number of fatalities and survivors....Between 4 and 8 survivors and between 12 and 16 fatalities....You'd think someone would have actually counted the number of bodies by now, but....
Current rumour is that, being a charter flight, the manifest wasn't completed correctly - there may have been last minute joyriders who hopped on for a day out in Akure.....I was told that the manifest 'can't be located' although, again an unsubstantiated rumour for the time being ....Find this difficult to believe, as I've always considered Associated to be a relatively professional business, but who knows....But incorrect weight / balance might explain the inability of the Embraer to achieve positive climb....
In a more cruel tone - conclusion in the Lagos bars this evening was that the accident was probably caused by a CoG problem - Mr Agagu's body was placed in the forward hold, but his wallet in a rear hold....
Current rumour is that, being a charter flight, the manifest wasn't completed correctly - there may have been last minute joyriders who hopped on for a day out in Akure.....I was told that the manifest 'can't be located' although, again an unsubstantiated rumour for the time being ....Find this difficult to believe, as I've always considered Associated to be a relatively professional business, but who knows....But incorrect weight / balance might explain the inability of the Embraer to achieve positive climb....
In a more cruel tone - conclusion in the Lagos bars this evening was that the accident was probably caused by a CoG problem - Mr Agagu's body was placed in the forward hold, but his wallet in a rear hold....
Last edited by Hussar 54; 5th Oct 2013 at 01:17.
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As expected, the Nigeria CAA has suspended the operations of Associated Airlines
[QUOTE]Nigeria's regulatory body suspends airline after plane crash
The regulatory Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Saturday suspended all operations of Associated Aviation Ltd., two days after one of its planes was involved in a crash that killed 16 of the 20 passengers on board.
NCAA Director-General Fola Akinkuotu announced the suspension while speaking with journalists after visiting the hospital where the seven survivors of the crash are being treated.
"Associated Airlines, their operations have been suspended by the NCAA. Let me say for the purpose of clarity, I said their operations, I mean all the operations of Associated Airlines have been suspend by the NCAA. I did not say any certification was cancelled but all operations," Capt Akinkuotu said.
He said the aircraft was certified airworthy before its last flight last Thursday.
The Associated Airlines Embraer 120 plane with 20 passengers on board crashed shortly after takeoff from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in the commercial city of Lagos.
The 30-seater plane was chartered to convey the remains of a former state governor to his home state for burial [QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Nigeria's regulatory body suspends airline after plane crash
The regulatory Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Saturday suspended all operations of Associated Aviation Ltd., two days after one of its planes was involved in a crash that killed 16 of the 20 passengers on board.
NCAA Director-General Fola Akinkuotu announced the suspension while speaking with journalists after visiting the hospital where the seven survivors of the crash are being treated.
"Associated Airlines, their operations have been suspended by the NCAA. Let me say for the purpose of clarity, I said their operations, I mean all the operations of Associated Airlines have been suspend by the NCAA. I did not say any certification was cancelled but all operations," Capt Akinkuotu said.
He said the aircraft was certified airworthy before its last flight last Thursday.
The Associated Airlines Embraer 120 plane with 20 passengers on board crashed shortly after takeoff from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in the commercial city of Lagos.
The 30-seater plane was chartered to convey the remains of a former state governor to his home state for burial [QUOTE]
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AIB Nigeria Releases Preliminary Report
Air Accident Investigation Board, Nigeria, has issued its preliminary report on the Associated Airlines Embraer 120 fatal crash in Lagos on October 3rd.
It seems that take off flap may not have been set and the right hand engine in auto-feather, but despite automated warnings to this effect, a query from the co-pilot as to whether the take off should be aborted, no V1 or Vr calls and a warning from the co-pilot to take it gently, the Captain continued the take off and the stall warning sounded less than 10 seconds after take-off. 31 seconds after the stall warning was heard, the aircraft impacted the ground in a nose down near 90 degree right bank. The evidence initially appears quite damning, but I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions about serviceability and CRM issues on this fatal flight.
Preliminary Report into crash of Associated Airlines crash on October 3rd
It seems that take off flap may not have been set and the right hand engine in auto-feather, but despite automated warnings to this effect, a query from the co-pilot as to whether the take off should be aborted, no V1 or Vr calls and a warning from the co-pilot to take it gently, the Captain continued the take off and the stall warning sounded less than 10 seconds after take-off. 31 seconds after the stall warning was heard, the aircraft impacted the ground in a nose down near 90 degree right bank. The evidence initially appears quite damning, but I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions about serviceability and CRM issues on this fatal flight.
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON ACCIDENT INVOLVING ASSOCIATED AIRLINE EMBRAER 120 AIRCRAFT REGISTERED 5N-BJY WHICH OCCURRED AT MMA ON THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER, 2013.
The following information has been determined from preliminary readout and analysis of flight 361’s flight recorders. Flight 361 was equipped with both a COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER and a FLIGHT DATA RECORDER. Both recorders were replayed at the Accident Investigation Bureau’s recently acquired flight recorder laboratory located in Abuja. International flight recorder experts from Canada who designed the laboratory assisted the investigation team with the readout and analysis process along with representatives from the aircraft manufacturer and aircraft operator, Associated Airlines. We are conducting the investigation in accordance with the provisions of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13, of which Nigeria is a member State.
The flight data recorder or FDR contained approximately 47 hours of data in solid state memory. The recorder downloaded without issue. There were approximately 50 parameters recorded. A few parameters were not working properly however we do not think, in this particular case, that it will hamper the overall investigation.
The cockpit voice recorder or CVR was an older generation magnetic tape based device. The CVR’s magnetic tape recording was removed from the unit and replayed on an open reel 4 track tape deck specially adapted for replaying CVR’s of this type. The CVR contained 32 and one half minutes of audio which included the internal conversation of the two pilots, radio calls and the overall aural environment in the cockpit on the cockpit area microphone. The CVR was of good quality and the team is in the process of generating a complete transcript of all relevant information. The AIB plans to release the transcript as part of its final report of the accident however the actual recording is, under international protocol, sensitive and therefore privileged information and will not be released at any time.
The following represents information that has been determined from our preliminary assessment of both flight recorders:

The crew discussed some concerns about the aircraft prior to departure but at this time we are not prepared to elaborate on those concerns as there remains a lot of work to complete on the CVR analysis in order to determine the specific nature of the crew’s concerns.
Associated 361 was cleared for take-off on runway one eight left at Lagos international airport. The wind was calm and weather is not considered a factor in this accident. Approximately 4 seconds after engine power was advanced to commence the take-off roll, the crew received an automated warning from the onboard computer voice which consisted of three chimes followed by “Take-off Flaps...Take-off Flaps”. This is a configuration warning that suggests that the flaps were not in the correct position for take-off and there is some evidence that the crew may have chosen not to use flaps for the take-off. The warning did not appear to come as any surprise to the crew and they continued normally with the take-off. This warning continues throughout the take-off roll. As we are in the process of verifying the accuracy of the flight data, we have not yet been able to confirm the actual flap setting however we expect to determine this in the fullness of time.
It was determined from the CVR that the pilot flying was the Captain and the pilot monitoring and assisting was the First Officer.
The ‘set power‘ call was made by the Captain and the ‘power is set’ call was confirmed by the First Officer as expected in normal operations. Approximately 3 seconds after the ‘power is set’ call, the First Officer noted that the aircraft was moving slowly. Approximately 7 seconds after the ‘power is set’ call, the internal Aircraft Voice warning system could be heard stating ‘Take off Flaps, Auto Feather’. Auto feather refers to the pitch of the propeller blades. In the feather position, the propeller does not produce any thrust. The FDR contains several engine related parameters which the AIB is studying. At this time, we can state that the Right engine appears to be producing considerably less thrust than the Left engine. The left engine appeared to be working normally. The aircraft automated voice continued to repeat ‘Take-off Flaps, Auto Feather’.
The physical examination of the wreckage revealed that the right engine propeller was in the feather position and the engine fire handle was pulled/activated.
The standard ‘eighty knots’ call was made by the First Officer. The first evidence that the crew indicated that there was a problem with the take-off roll was immediately following the ‘eighty knots’ call. The First Officer asked if the take- off should be aborted approximately 12 seconds after the ‘eighty knots’ callout. Our investigation team estimates the airspeed to be approximately 95 knots. Airspeed was one of the parameters that, while working in the cockpit, appeared not to be working on the Flight Data Recorder. We were able to estimate the speed based on the radar data that we synchronized to the FDR and CVR but it is very approximate because of this. In response to the First Officer’s question to abort, the Captain indicated that they should continue and they continued the take-off roll. The crew did not make a ‘V1’ call or a Vr’ call. V1 is the speed at which a decision to abort or continue a take-off is made. Vr is the speed at which it is planned to rotate the aircraft. Normally the non-flying pilot calls both the V1 and the Vr speeds. When Vr is called the flying pilot pulls back on the control column and the aircraft is rotated (pitched up) to climb away from the runway. During the rotation, the First Officer stated ‘gently’, which we believe reflects concern that the aircraft is not performing normally and therefore needs to be rotated very gently so as not to aerodynamically stall the aircraft.
The First Officer indicated that the aircraft was not climbing and advised the Captain who was flying not to stall the aircraft. Higher climb angles can cause an aerodynamic stall. If the aircraft is not producing enough overall thrust, it is difficult or impossible to climb without the risk of an aerodynamic stall.
Immediately after lift-off, the aircraft slowly veered off the runway heading to the right and was not climbing properly. This aircraft behavior appears to have resulted in the Air Traffic Controller asking Flight 361 if operation was normal. Flight 361 never responded.
Less than 10 seconds after rotation of the aircraft to climb away from the runway, the stall warning sounded in the cockpit and continued to the end of the
recording. The flight data shows characteristics consistent with an aerodynamic stall.
31 seconds after the stall warning was heard, the aircraft impacted the ground in a nose down near 90 degree right bank.
The investigation is focussing on the following:
1) Mechanical and electronic engine control issues related to the Right engine and Right engine propeller systems.
2) Aural warnings related to auto-feather and the flap settings required for takeoff.
3) Take-off configuration issues with respect to flap settings.
4) Crew decision making and training with respect to proceeding with the
flight despite concerns regarding the aircraft’s suitability for flight.
5) When and how the number 2 engine fire handle was pulled.
6) Standard operating procedures with respect to continuing the take-off roll
despite continuous automated voice warnings of both ‘take-off flaps’ and
‘auto feather’ when there was ample time to abort the take-off.
7) The airline management’s safety culture fostered throughout the airline.
We are in the process of developing a comprehensive computer reconstruction of the flight which will help our team understand the sequence of events and will ultimately help us communicate our findings to the aviation community and the general public.
At this time we have no urgent safety recommendations. We will not wait for the final report to issue safety recommendations should any issue arise that we feel needs immediate attention.
The following information has been determined from preliminary readout and analysis of flight 361’s flight recorders. Flight 361 was equipped with both a COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER and a FLIGHT DATA RECORDER. Both recorders were replayed at the Accident Investigation Bureau’s recently acquired flight recorder laboratory located in Abuja. International flight recorder experts from Canada who designed the laboratory assisted the investigation team with the readout and analysis process along with representatives from the aircraft manufacturer and aircraft operator, Associated Airlines. We are conducting the investigation in accordance with the provisions of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13, of which Nigeria is a member State.
The flight data recorder or FDR contained approximately 47 hours of data in solid state memory. The recorder downloaded without issue. There were approximately 50 parameters recorded. A few parameters were not working properly however we do not think, in this particular case, that it will hamper the overall investigation.
The cockpit voice recorder or CVR was an older generation magnetic tape based device. The CVR’s magnetic tape recording was removed from the unit and replayed on an open reel 4 track tape deck specially adapted for replaying CVR’s of this type. The CVR contained 32 and one half minutes of audio which included the internal conversation of the two pilots, radio calls and the overall aural environment in the cockpit on the cockpit area microphone. The CVR was of good quality and the team is in the process of generating a complete transcript of all relevant information. The AIB plans to release the transcript as part of its final report of the accident however the actual recording is, under international protocol, sensitive and therefore privileged information and will not be released at any time.
The following represents information that has been determined from our preliminary assessment of both flight recorders:

The crew discussed some concerns about the aircraft prior to departure but at this time we are not prepared to elaborate on those concerns as there remains a lot of work to complete on the CVR analysis in order to determine the specific nature of the crew’s concerns.
Associated 361 was cleared for take-off on runway one eight left at Lagos international airport. The wind was calm and weather is not considered a factor in this accident. Approximately 4 seconds after engine power was advanced to commence the take-off roll, the crew received an automated warning from the onboard computer voice which consisted of three chimes followed by “Take-off Flaps...Take-off Flaps”. This is a configuration warning that suggests that the flaps were not in the correct position for take-off and there is some evidence that the crew may have chosen not to use flaps for the take-off. The warning did not appear to come as any surprise to the crew and they continued normally with the take-off. This warning continues throughout the take-off roll. As we are in the process of verifying the accuracy of the flight data, we have not yet been able to confirm the actual flap setting however we expect to determine this in the fullness of time.
It was determined from the CVR that the pilot flying was the Captain and the pilot monitoring and assisting was the First Officer.
The ‘set power‘ call was made by the Captain and the ‘power is set’ call was confirmed by the First Officer as expected in normal operations. Approximately 3 seconds after the ‘power is set’ call, the First Officer noted that the aircraft was moving slowly. Approximately 7 seconds after the ‘power is set’ call, the internal Aircraft Voice warning system could be heard stating ‘Take off Flaps, Auto Feather’. Auto feather refers to the pitch of the propeller blades. In the feather position, the propeller does not produce any thrust. The FDR contains several engine related parameters which the AIB is studying. At this time, we can state that the Right engine appears to be producing considerably less thrust than the Left engine. The left engine appeared to be working normally. The aircraft automated voice continued to repeat ‘Take-off Flaps, Auto Feather’.
The physical examination of the wreckage revealed that the right engine propeller was in the feather position and the engine fire handle was pulled/activated.
The standard ‘eighty knots’ call was made by the First Officer. The first evidence that the crew indicated that there was a problem with the take-off roll was immediately following the ‘eighty knots’ call. The First Officer asked if the take- off should be aborted approximately 12 seconds after the ‘eighty knots’ callout. Our investigation team estimates the airspeed to be approximately 95 knots. Airspeed was one of the parameters that, while working in the cockpit, appeared not to be working on the Flight Data Recorder. We were able to estimate the speed based on the radar data that we synchronized to the FDR and CVR but it is very approximate because of this. In response to the First Officer’s question to abort, the Captain indicated that they should continue and they continued the take-off roll. The crew did not make a ‘V1’ call or a Vr’ call. V1 is the speed at which a decision to abort or continue a take-off is made. Vr is the speed at which it is planned to rotate the aircraft. Normally the non-flying pilot calls both the V1 and the Vr speeds. When Vr is called the flying pilot pulls back on the control column and the aircraft is rotated (pitched up) to climb away from the runway. During the rotation, the First Officer stated ‘gently’, which we believe reflects concern that the aircraft is not performing normally and therefore needs to be rotated very gently so as not to aerodynamically stall the aircraft.
The First Officer indicated that the aircraft was not climbing and advised the Captain who was flying not to stall the aircraft. Higher climb angles can cause an aerodynamic stall. If the aircraft is not producing enough overall thrust, it is difficult or impossible to climb without the risk of an aerodynamic stall.
Immediately after lift-off, the aircraft slowly veered off the runway heading to the right and was not climbing properly. This aircraft behavior appears to have resulted in the Air Traffic Controller asking Flight 361 if operation was normal. Flight 361 never responded.
Less than 10 seconds after rotation of the aircraft to climb away from the runway, the stall warning sounded in the cockpit and continued to the end of the
recording. The flight data shows characteristics consistent with an aerodynamic stall.
31 seconds after the stall warning was heard, the aircraft impacted the ground in a nose down near 90 degree right bank.
The investigation is focussing on the following:
1) Mechanical and electronic engine control issues related to the Right engine and Right engine propeller systems.
2) Aural warnings related to auto-feather and the flap settings required for takeoff.
3) Take-off configuration issues with respect to flap settings.
4) Crew decision making and training with respect to proceeding with the
flight despite concerns regarding the aircraft’s suitability for flight.
5) When and how the number 2 engine fire handle was pulled.
6) Standard operating procedures with respect to continuing the take-off roll
despite continuous automated voice warnings of both ‘take-off flaps’ and
‘auto feather’ when there was ample time to abort the take-off.
7) The airline management’s safety culture fostered throughout the airline.
We are in the process of developing a comprehensive computer reconstruction of the flight which will help our team understand the sequence of events and will ultimately help us communicate our findings to the aviation community and the general public.
At this time we have no urgent safety recommendations. We will not wait for the final report to issue safety recommendations should any issue arise that we feel needs immediate attention.
Last edited by Keke Napep; 12th Oct 2013 at 12:50.
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....and here is the real cause of the crash.....
Four days after a tragic crash involving an Associated Airline plane killed 14 people in Lagos, Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, on Monday described accidents as "God’s will that are inevitable".
she goes on to say....
“And what saddens me really is that ICAO said just last week that Nigeria was way above the global average. We actually scored 65 per cent. Secondly, ICAO said Nigeria was the 12th most safe aviation globally. And then when you hear bad comments; people making comments that have zero bearing on reality. It is very annoying."
Full article:
Air accidents inevitable ? Minister of Aviation ? The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper
Four days after a tragic crash involving an Associated Airline plane killed 14 people in Lagos, Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, on Monday described accidents as "God’s will that are inevitable".
she goes on to say....
“And what saddens me really is that ICAO said just last week that Nigeria was way above the global average. We actually scored 65 per cent. Secondly, ICAO said Nigeria was the 12th most safe aviation globally. And then when you hear bad comments; people making comments that have zero bearing on reality. It is very annoying."
Full article:
Air accidents inevitable ? Minister of Aviation ? The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper
Last edited by Thare Machi; 26th Oct 2013 at 20:43.
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Although these two quotes are actually part of the linked article, from reading it completely I'd be tempted to say that Mrs. Stella Oduah also says much more sensible things. Extracting only these two sentences makes no justice to her.
I won't even comment about the photograph chosen to illustrate the post, which is not part of the newspaper article.
I have no connection whatsoever with Nigerian aviation or Nigeria for that matter. I may quite well ignore things about the situation of aviation safety there. I probably do. Still, this post is biased IMHO.
I won't even comment about the photograph chosen to illustrate the post, which is not part of the newspaper article.
I have no connection whatsoever with Nigerian aviation or Nigeria for that matter. I may quite well ignore things about the situation of aviation safety there. I probably do. Still, this post is biased IMHO.
Last edited by alainthailande; 27th Oct 2013 at 09:17.
Yes, I'm familiar with the annual ICAO SGAS publication, which takes great care to avoid ranking nations relative to each other.
Presumably, as far as Nigeria's "12th safest in the world" claim is concerned, that's a euphemism for "entirely fabricated". 
I suspect it's the result of a chain of misunderstanding.
Last edited by DaveReidUK; 27th Oct 2013 at 15:57. Reason: can't spell
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It is the unacceptable accident rate that is the special case, not the continent where those accidents take place,
The accident rate may well be unacceptable in a civilised, western country......you're relating the Western attitudes to a 3 rd world
where corruption is endemic and life is worthless, the only law that seems to be obeyed is that of Samuel Colt....witness the casual acceptance of the bodies being looted.maybe a few of the bigwigs in their Air ministry really do aspire to first-world standards of operation......but it isn't going to happen any time soon....the man on the street does not have Western ideals, concience and morality.
Darwin rules, let them get on with it....We're pissing against the wind, trying to drag a 18th. century civilisation into the 21st. century.....I guess that's why so many intelligent, upright and concientious people leave the dark continent.
AHHH feel better now!
alainthailande said: "Still, this post is biased IMHO".
If you care to read this article:
Nigerians react: Bullet-proof car scandal ? The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper
and particulary the comments below it, you will see the reaon for the photo showing the cars and maybe, just maybe, you might want to revise your opinion regarding bias.
I have no connection whatsoever with Nigerian Aviation either but I have had the "pleasure" of operating into Lagos quite a few times.
If you care to read this article:
Nigerians react: Bullet-proof car scandal ? The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper
and particulary the comments below it, you will see the reaon for the photo showing the cars and maybe, just maybe, you might want to revise your opinion regarding bias.
I have no connection whatsoever with Nigerian Aviation either but I have had the "pleasure" of operating into Lagos quite a few times.
Last edited by John Boeman; 27th Oct 2013 at 15:31.
It seems that take off flap may not have been set and the right hand engine in auto-feather, but despite automated warnings to this effect, a query from the co-pilot as to whether the take off should be aborted, no V1 or Vr calls and a warning from the co-pilot to take it gently, the Captain continued the take off and the stall warning sounded less than 10 seconds after take-off.
31 seconds after the stall warning was heard, the aircraft impacted the
ground in a nose down near 90 degree right bank.
The evidence initially appears quite damning, but I'll leave you to draw your
own conclusions about serviceability and CRM issues on this fatal flight.
31 seconds after the stall warning was heard, the aircraft impacted the
ground in a nose down near 90 degree right bank.
The evidence initially appears quite damning, but I'll leave you to draw your
own conclusions about serviceability and CRM issues on this fatal flight.
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I seem to recall a 727 at DFW that tried to take off with the wrong configuration
