Accident Beechcraft A100 King Air N81MD, Friday 11 August 1978
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Date:Friday 11 August 1978
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE10 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft A100 King Air
Owner/operator:J. Ray McDermott & Company Inc.
Registration: N81MD
MSN: B-203
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off
Category:Accident
Location:110 km SE of Lagos -   Nigeria
Phase: En route
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:Lagos (DNMM)
Destination airport:Port Harcourt Airport
Confidence Rating: Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities
Narrative:
The aircraft was returning to Port Harcourt, Nigeria from Lagos and was cruising at 24,000 feet with only the two flight crew members on board. Approximately half way to Port Harcourt the right engines failed. The crew secured the right engine and started a decent. When the aircraft reached 18,000 feet the left engine failed as well. At the time of the engine failure the aircraft was over water.
The crew turned towards land and made a landing gear retracted landing in the water approximately 1 mile off shore. A local village rescued the flight crew in 2 dugout canoes.
The cause of the accident was the Captain cross feeding the left engine from the right wing fuel tank. The right tank was empty of fuel. The left wing tank had fuel. Both engine fuel tank gauges were inoperative.

Sources:

investigator (Frederic Wilken)

Images:


photo (c): Frederic Wilken


photo (c): Frederic Wilken

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
31-Mar-2025 14:42 ASN Updated [Total occupants, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
31-Mar-2025 14:48 ASN Updated [Narrative, ]
02-Apr-2025 12:48 ASN Updated [Source, Photo, ]
02-Apr-2025 12:48 ASN Updated [Photo, ]

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