ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2B7 5N-BFK Abuja International Airport (ABV)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 29 October 2006
Time:11:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic B732 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Boeing 737-2B7
Operator:ADC Airlines
Registration: 5N-BFK
MSN: 22891/988
First flight: 1983-09-27 (23 years 1 months)
Total airframe hrs:56411
Cycles:44465
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17
Crew:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:Fatalities: 92 / Occupants: 100
Total:Fatalities: 96 / Occupants: 105
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Abuja International Airport (ABV) (   Nigeria)
Crash site elevation: 342 m (1122 feet) amsl
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Abuja International Airport (ABV/DNAA), Nigeria
Destination airport:Sokoto Airport (SKO/DNSO), Nigeria
Flightnumber: 053
Narrative:
A Boeing 737-200 passenger plane, registered 5N-BFK, was destroyed when it crashed near Abuja International Airport (ABV), Nigeria. There were 100 passengers on board and five crew members. Eight passengers and one crew member survived the accident.
ADC Airlines Flight 53 departed Lagos (LOS) on a scheduled domestic flight to Sokoto (SKO) with an intermediate stop at Abuja (ABV). At Abuja at 11:14 local time, the crew of the aircraft requested start-up clearance. This was given along with the prevailing weather information. At 11:21, the crew requested clearance to taxi to the holding point and a wind check; both were given. Over the following six minutes Abuja Tower gave a series of six wind reports, including a statement emphasizing the gusty nature of the wind. A thunderstorm was approaching the airport and weather was worsening. At 11:26, the crew of flight 53 requested clearance for immediate takeoff, and the controller re-emphasized the deteriorating weather condition and gave latest wind check, which they acknowledged.
Immediately after takeoff from runway 22, the Boeing 737 entered into a headwind -shift to-tailwind windshear, which significantly affected the aerodynamic performance of the airplane.
The Pilot Flying responded to the windshear by adding a small amount of power and by pulling back on the control column causing a significant pitch attitude change.
The Pilot-not-flying responded to the windshear by calling for the Pilot Flying to pull up. The airplane then entered into a full aerodynamic stall followed by a roll to the left of over 90 degrees and steep descent into the ground. The aircraft was pitched to an attitude that resulted in the temporary disruption of airflow to and momentary loss of power in both engines. The airplane broke up and caught fire in a corn field.

Probable Cause:

CAUSAL FACTOR:
The pilot's decision to take-off in known adverse weather conditions and failure to execute the proper windshear recovery procedure resulted in operating the aircraft outside the safe flight regime, causing the aircraft to stall very close to the ground from which recovery was not possible.
CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS:
(1) Inability of the flight crew to apply windshear recovery procedures and the use of inappropriate equipment for windshear recovery procedure during simulator recurrrecncy. Lack of company Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for flight operations in adverse weather conditions.
(2) The coordination of responsibilities between the pilot-flying (PF) and pilot not flying(PNF) during their encounter with adverse weather situation was inconsistent with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the duties of the pilot-flying (PF) and pilot not flying (PNF) resulting in the inadequate control of the aircraft.

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: AIB Nigeria
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: 4/2008 (ADC/2006/10/29/F)
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Windshear/downdraft
Loss of control

Sources:
» SKYbrary 
» 100 Feared Killed in ADC Air Crash (This Day 29-10-2006)
» FG Suspends ADC Operating Licence (This Day 31-10-2006)

METAR Weather report:
08:00 UTC / 09:00 local time:
DNAA 290800Z 00000KT CAVOK 27/24 Q1012 NOSIG=

10:00 UTC / 11:00 local time:
DNAA 291000Z 27006KT 9999 BKN012 30/24 Q1011 NOSIG=

13:00 UTC / 14:00 local time:
DNAA 291300Z 00000KT 9999 FEW010 FEW020CB BKN100 25/22 Q1009 NOSIG=

14:00 UTC / 15:00 local time:
DNAA 291400Z 00000KT 9999 FEW010 FEW020CB BKN100 26/23 Q1008 TEMPO 06022G35KT 5000 TS=


Follow-up / safety actions
On October 30, 2006, the suspended the Air Operators Certificate of ADC Airlines indefinitely.

AIB Nigeria issued 5 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of Boeing-737-2B7-5N-BFK
accident date: 29-10-2006
type: Boeing 737-2B7
registration: 5N-BFK
photo of Boeing-737-2B7-5N-BFK
accident date: 29-10-2006
type: Boeing 737-2B7
registration: 5N-BFK
photo of Boeing-737-2B7-5N-BFK
accident date: 29-10-2006
type: Boeing 737-2B7
registration: 5N-BFK
photo of Boeing-737-2B7-5N-BFK
accident date: 29-10-2006
type: Boeing 737-2B7
registration: 5N-BFK
photo of Boeing-737-2B7-N279AU
accident date: 29-10-2006
type: Boeing 737-2B7
registration: N279AU
 

Aircraft history
date registration operator remarks
27 SEP 1983 N323AU US Air
15 NOV 1988 N279AU US Air new registration
27 FEB 1997 N279AU US Airways airline renamed
N279AU Metrojet transferred
02 SEP 2003 5N-BFK ADC Airlines

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Abuja International Airport to Sokoto Airport as the crow flies is 487 km (304 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Boeing 737-200

  • 1114 built
  • 106th loss
  • 53rd fatal accident
  • 14th worst accident (at the time)
  • 16th worst accident (currently)
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 Nigeria
  • 7th worst accident (at the time)
  • 8th worst accident (currently)
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