Bad One in Nigeria

[allardjd 1,853]

They're saying 153 on the plane and an unknown number on the ground. It wiped out a 3-story apartment building, so probably destroyed around a dozen Internet scam "boiler rooms" too.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/06/03/passenger-plane-crashes-in-nigeria-largest-city/

John

[brett 2,315]

They're saying 153 on the plane and an unknown number on the ground. It wiped out a 3-story apartment building, so probably destroyed around a dozen Internet scam "boiler rooms" too.

http://www.foxnews.c...a-largest-city/

John

First, the thread title made me think you over did it in a sim aircraft or on a vacation

then,

Second, I read about the death of some of our fellow human beings and it made me

then,

Third, while trying to say a prayer for the poor folks and feeling some sypathy for them my eyes scan the last of the post :( :rofl:

Just wasn't fair and I did try to keep it together. Ok, I'm good now.

[allardjd 1,853]

I share your thoughts for all the dead and any injured, and the families affected, Brett, but couldn't resist that one.

Nigeria is rather famous for that and not undeservedly. I can't tell you how many surviving widows or daughters of recently deceased high-level bankers or government officials have sought my assistance to transfer a few million to my personal account, just to get it out of the country. They're always extremely generous over the amount they'll let me keep for helping them, if only I'll send them the particulars of my bank account.

Reading more in the news, it sounds like the accident was on departure, and in good WX. Can't resist speculating either - Overweight? Engine failure? Incorrectly set flaps? Time will tell.

There was a cargo crash in Ghana yesterday too, on a flight originating in Lagos. Bad weekend for aviation in that part of the world.

John

EDIT: Judging from the shape of the rudder in the crash photos it looks like it may be an MD-80 series AC.

JDA

[stu7708 244]

Sad news indeed. I heard it mentioned on the news last night, but wasn't aware it went down in a residential area.

With a MD-80 series crashing on departure incorrectly set flaps/slats does spring to mind as a likely reason, there's been a few of those.

But it seems as a news reporter has finally disproved your rule on aviation reporting John...

The article clearly states that it didn't nose-dive into the ground...

[allardjd 1,853]

Yeah, I spotted that. He should get the Pulitzer prize.

The original article is being revised frequently as more information becomes available there. The early versions didn't mention the type AC but the photo showing the nearly intact tali section made for a pretty good fingerprint. A later update says the pilot reported engine problems before the crash. The later details are also talking about the problems with the ground infrastructure there - no water, no power, etc.

John

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Just as a side, the one in Accra, Ghana was a 727 cargo. 10 dead on the ground in either an aborted take-off or overrun landfing (not too sure really). It hit a bus near a Hajj village. One of the last 727-200's built, and it flew Pan-Am's last commerical flight

Sad weekend.

But this made melaugh - 'Joy News' reporting 10 deaths - http://edition.myjoy...01206/87684.php

[dodgy-alan 1,587]

I've been watching these stories with some interest as I know that part of the world quite well having spent a lot of time there in the past. Ghana Airport is pretty well organised as a lot of the infrastructure was put in place with help from BOAC as part of their network and it has continued to progress well. Lagos too is a major airport but it was a right dump last time I was there. It doesnt help that the locals are for a large part a bunch of thieving b--t-rds that will take anything they can get there hands on. You can bet your life that this crash will have attracted looters by the hundreds! and some of the Police would quite likely have joined them! It was a few years since I was there now but I never forget the mindset of those people. Sure there are many honest and professional people in Nigeria but Lagos is a melting pot of rich and poor alike. It is not a safe place for a single white person to be out in. This tragedy could only add to the chaos that already reigns in that city.

[The red barron 41]

Sad weekend for aviation indeed.

Looks like it was an Md-80, John your probably right with incorrect set flaps/slats but could it have been the jack screw in the tail to operate the elevators? Anyone remember the Alaskan Md-80 that went down years ago through a faulty jack screw? The investigation declared that bad maintenance was a big factor in the failure of the screw, and I'm not saying that the aircraft was badly maintained but there would be gaps where maintenance would be lacking and this could be one area.

EDIT: BBC News are saying that the aircraft was a

Boeing MD-83

[allardjd 1,853]

They're saying the Lagos pilot reported engine problems before the crash, which must have been soon after takeoff.

Yes, I remember the Alaskan one - serious maintenance issue, and he tore the threads right out of the nut as a continuous metallic ribbon by continuing to fool with it after it first acted up. I've seen that happen with large valve actuators, so am quite familiar with that failure mode and it's a very similar mechanism.

Hindsight is 20/20 and he had no way of knowing what the problem was. If he'd have aborted as soon as he had a problem and minimized his use of the trim, he might have made it.

John