Incident Overview

Description
A Nigeria Airways Fokker F-28 Fellowship crashed while on approach to Enugu Airport, Nigeria , killing 53 occupants; 19 survived the accident. A Fokker F-28 Fellowship 2000 passenger jet, registered 5N-ANF, was damaged beyond repair in an accident 3,3 km from Enugu Airport (ENU), Nigeria. There were 66 passengers and six crew members on board. The airplane operated on a Nigeria Airways flight from Lagos/Ikeja International Airport (LOS) to Enugu Airport (ENU). A VOR approach was attempted although the airport visibility was reported to be below minima. While first maintaining MDA at or below 300 ft above local terrain and apparently manoeuvring to regain track while passing the VOR, the aircraft was suddenly made to descend, less than two miles short of the threshold. The aircraft was still in approach configuration. At initial impact, which was in a nearly level attitude in flat terrain covered with high grass, the landing gears were torn off or collapsed. The aircraft then slid on its belly, while shedding pieces, into a cassavaterrain consisting of a regular pattern of mounds of about 1 metre high and some trees. One of these trees cut the left wing slightly outboard of the root collector tank and the wing separated further on. The left engine and nacelle were torn off as well, including a large piece of side wall, floor structure and aft pressure bulkhead. Aft fuselage and empennage further separated behind the pressure bulkhead. In view of the damage to the aft fuselage parts, it is likely that the aircraft travelled in a taildown nose-high attitude during some part of the ground slide. The front fuselage bottom was severely compressed, the cargo holds were ruptured and their contents dispersed. Due to the right wing trailing on the mounds and hitting some smaller trees, the final slide relative to the fuselage was sideward to the left. A fire erupted at the separated wing and engine and gradually made its way towards the fuselage remains.
Source of Information
http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=725http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=725Primary Cause
Poorly executed VOR approach, resulting in a sudden and unexpected descent, likely due to a lack of situational awareness and inadequate maneuvering.Poorly executed VOR approach, resulting in a sudden and unexpected descent, likely due to a lack of situational awareness and inadequate maneuvering.Share on: