MK 74F down in PHC?
 

Just heard this one. Hope it turns out alright.

Have also heard this rumour. Understand 15 pax onboard, mostly Europeans.

Hey Cargo Rat, what's up??

You are correct about MK in PHC, that's two tallies, however unsure about severity yet.

Come on, Al Capone - don't keep us in suspense - what happened with the aircraft? With the Ghana DCA now pull their flag of convenience AOC? :rolleyes: Or will the CAA here finally ground their aircraft due to lack of operational oversight and control?

Understand that aircraft was 9G-MKI. Landed short at Port Harcourt. Currently 12 survivors.

Apparently there is now one fatality. Not sure whether crew or pax. Aircraft is a total loss. MK are based in UK are they not?

Hartfield, East Sussex. UK.

MK Airlines, Ltd (formerly MK Aircargo Ltd) Landhurst, Hartfield, East Sussex TN7 4DL, (1892) 77 00 11 Email: [email protected]
9G-MKI, B74-246F (SCD) s/n 22063/432 (1980)ex N741SJ (Southern Air) ex JA8144 (JAL).

Guv, I hope I'm wrong but is there a bit of gloating in your tone?

The total loss of a B747 with fatalities is bad news for the whole industry right now. It means more crappy publicity we don't need and if, as you suggest, MK lose their AOC then it's more pilots out of work.

Where's your upside?

CNN Report total 7 crew,two dead and five injured.

Guv, show some respect please, for once!

Following quote from REUTERS:

>>>>>>
RPT-Two killed as cargo plane crashes in Nigeria
PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, Nov 27 (Reuters) - A Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed near the southeastern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt on Tuesday, killing two crew members and wounding five, airport officials said.
They said the plane crashed in the bush as it approached to land, but details of the accident and ownership of the aircraft or its origin were not immediately available.
The airport officials said the crew appeared to be foreign but their nationalities could not be established immediately.
One of the dead had been burned beyond recognition but it was not immediately clear to what extent the plane itself was damaged. Airport workers said there had been no sign of an explosion after the plane came down in clear weather.
They said Nigerian Aviation Minister Kema Chikwe had rushed to the city clinic where the injured crew had been taken but it was not clear if she had flown to Port Harcourt after the crash.
Port Harcourt is the capital of Nigeria´s oil and gas industry and hub of massive new projects, including a multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas complex
<<<<<<<<<<<<

Really sad days for aviation :(


One fatality in MK Airlines 747-200F crash in Nigeria
London (27Nov01, 13:21 GMT, 152 words)


A Boeing 747-200 freighter operated by UK cargo carrier MK Airlines has crashed on landing at Port Harcourt in Nigeria, killing one of the 13 people on board.

The Pratt & Whitney JT9D-powered 747-200F was en-route from Luxembourg to the Nigerian city, located south east of Lagos, when the accident occurred.

A spokesman for MK Airlines, which specialises in African operations, says: “We’re still trying to establish what happened. The aircraft crashed on landing at Port Harcourt at 02:00 this morning.”

He says that one of the 13 people on board the cargo flight died in the accident. The aircraft is a total loss.

MK Airlines has been leasing the 21-year old aircraft, registered 9G-MKI, since 1999. It is owned by Finova Capital Corporation and was formerly operated by Japan Airlines.

The 747-200F was one of a pair operated by MK Airlines, which also has a fleet of six McDonnell Douglas DC-8s.


Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

Good grief. I saw -MKI on the ramp yesterday lunchtime.
I heard via my original source that one of the survivors was on the way to the UK in an air ambulance.
My condolences to all.

Realy sad news. Mike Kruger is a really pleasant guy. Not one of the ususal intolerable egos you often find at the top of an airline.

Condolences to him and to all at his company especialy those grieving tonight.

Guvnor - shame on you.

I know that this will be unpopular, but it needs to be said. First, though, I would like to express sympathy for those directly involved - and of course the families of those killed.

My information from Nigeria is that initial findings are that the aircraft ran out of fuel.

MK has had considerably more than their statistical share of accidents and incidents - out of a total fleet of 12 aircraft operated, since 1992 they have lost two DC8s and have had at least one serious incident with their B747s (where ballast shifted because it was not properly secured, seriouly damaging the cargo hold and centre fuel tank).

They are an operation that is owned (and largely staffed) by Zimbabweans - many of whom are here illegally, without work permits or UK passports, working at MSE and at the company's 'technical base' in Sussex.

They have no genuine operational infrastructure in Ghana, yet operate under a Ghana AOC.

They are domiciled and openly headquartered in the UK yet the CAA is powerless to force them to apply for a UK AOC (despite many 'nudges' from the Belgrano).

They benefit from a lack of operational and safety oversight which allows them to cut costs and - more importantly - cut corners.

This, in turn, has allowed them to undercut EU airlines such as Cargo Lion, forcing them out of business.

They are, in short, the sort of dangerous flag of convenience pirate operator that Maggie Oldham used to get so wound up about.

This is not the first time that this company's poor standards have cost lives. And, unless the CAA/DTLR does something about them, nor will it be the last.

Over the last twelve months, there have been a number of threads about this company - some of which, sadly, have been very prophetic.

The chances are, you'll be sharing the skies with these aircraft. How safe do you feel?

[ 27 November 2001: Message edited by: The Guvnor ]

"Shame on Guv" - WHY? Everything he's posted has been informative and respectful. Why does every thread have to degenerate because a small group insist on hijacking the topic and accuse Guv of god knows what? There's been a terrible accident in PHC and even this it appears is being used as a pretext for some petty vendetta. Show some respect. Is this how all airline pilots behave? No wonder the industry is f***ed.

Jesus "The Guvnor", you've got your knickers in a fine twist. Why on earth do you know so much about them. Did they give you the sticky finger once or is it just plain poking your nose around??

Looking for more details on the crew - any have more info?

this is not the kind of news we need to be reading right now. As there have been varying reports about POB etc lets hope that the fatality bit is also bollocks. In any case, I am thinking of you, those directly affected.
Oh yes, Guv, wot a nob!

Condolences to all concerned with regards to this tragedy.

Although the Guvnor’s comments might be a little ill timed, he is quite correct. If you are not convinced just ask any ex Tradewinds or Anglo Cargo employee what happens when you have a weak DT, This department allows this sort of operation to flourish in the UK at the expense of a proper UK based AOC operation.

MK is not the only UK cargo operation that is based in the UK that uses foreign registed a/c and foreign crews. I can think of another cargo operation, based at LGW.

Of the 15 aircraft MK Airlines were due to have in their fleet over the last 10 years, 3 were not delivered, which leaves a fleet of 12 aircraft.

After today's accident, 3 of those aircraft have been written off (a DC-8 in 1992, a DC-8 in 1996, and the 747 today). All 3 writeoffs were due to crashes; one in Kanos, and two in Port Harcourt.

There's something terribly wrong when 1/4 of an airline's fleet has been lost in crashes. Ill-timed or not, it needs to be said.