ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 560XL Citation XLS 5N-BMM Port Harcourt Airport (PHC)
ASN logo
 

Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Thursday 14 July 2011
Time:19:53
Type:Silhouette image of generic C56X model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Cessna 560XL Citation XLS
Operator:Bristow Helicopters
Registration: 5N-BMM
MSN: 560-5830
First flight: 2008
Total airframe hrs:982
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:Port Harcourt Airport (PHC) (   Nigeria)
Phase: Landing (LDG)
Nature:Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS/DNMM), Nigeria
Destination airport:Port Harcourt Airport (PHC/DNPO), Nigeria
Narrative:
A Cessna 560XL Citation XLS corporate jet, 5N-BMM, was damaged in a runway excursion accident at Port Harcourt Airport (PHC), Nigeria. Two of the six occupants were injured.
The airplane departed Lagos, Nigeria at 18:56 hours for Port Harcourt. The aircraft's first contact with Port Harcourt was at 19:14 when the pilot reported maintaining FL330 and estimating POT VOR at 19:40. The aircraft was cleared to POT, to maintain FL330 with no delay expected for an ILS Approach to runway 21, QNH 1011. Seven minutes later the flight was cleared to descend to FL150. At 19:27 the flight was cleared further down to 3,300ft but the pilot acknowledged 3,500ft. At 19:31 the aircraft was re-cleared to FL90 initially due to departing traffic on runway 03 at Port Harcourt. This was followed by new descent clearances first to FL50 and then to 2000ft. At 19:36 the flight was cleared for a straight-in ILS approach to runway 21 and to report on the localizer. At 19:50, when the flight had changed frequencies to Port Harcourt Tower, the controller asked 5N-BMM to confirm on the glide slope and the crew confirmed "Charlie, we have three miles to run". The Tower cleared 5N-BMM to land with surface wind calm but to exercise caution since the runway surface was wet and 5N-BMM responded "wind calm". At 19:52 the auto voice callout "minimums minimums" alerted the crew. The pilot flying, a captain, stated: "I am not on the centerline...I can't see down". The pilot monitoring, who was also captain, said to the pilot flying: "I am telling you to go down" and the pilot flying said "I will go down", five seconds later the aircraft crashed-landed.
The airplane skidded off the runway and impacted a gully and a culvert, causing the right hand main gear to be sheared off.
The aircraft suffered substantial damage and the main door was inaccessible, thus the passengers and crew evacuated through the overwing exit close to the starboard engine that was still running.
The fire services eventually used their water hose to shutdown the running engine.

Probable Cause:

Causal Factor:
The Decision of the pilot to continue the approach without the required visual references.
Contributory Factors:
1) Poor crew co-ordination CRM.
2) Pairing two captains together.
3) The weather was marginal.

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: AIB Nigeria
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 3 years and 10 months
Accident number: BH 2011/07/14/F
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Runway excursion (veer-off)

Sources:
» Six Escape Death In Near Plane Crash (Tribune, 16-7-2011)
» Plane overshoots runway in Nigeria (PANA, 14-7-2011)

METAR Weather report:
18:30 UTC / 19:30 local time:

Wind 300 degrees at 2 knots; Visibility 6 km; Drizzle; Broken clouds at 210 m; Few clouds (CB(SD)) at 600 m; 1011 hPa; Temperature 24°C; Dew point 22°C


Follow-up / safety actions

AIB Nigeria issued 6 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of Cessna-560XL-Citation-XLS-5N-BMM
accident date: 14-07-2011
type: Cessna 560XL Citation XLS
registration: 5N-BMM
photo of Cessna-560XL-Citation-XLS-5N-BMM
accident date: 14-07-2011
type: Cessna 560XL Citation XLS
registration: 5N-BMM
photo of Cessna-560XL-Citation-XLS-5N-BMM
accident date: 14-07-2011
type: Cessna 560XL Citation XLS
registration: 5N-BMM
photo of Cessna-560XL-Citation-XLS-5N-BMM
accident date: 14-07-2011
type: Cessna 560XL Citation XLS
registration: 5N-BMM
photo of Cessna-560XL-Citation-XLS-5N-BMM
accident date: 14-07-2011
type: Cessna 560XL Citation XLS
registration: 5N-BMM
 

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 Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport to Port Harcourt Airport as the crow flies is 435 km (272 miles).

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.
languages: languages

Share

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org