In recent years, the Nigerian air space has recorded alarming numbers of air mishaps with 10 air crashes in the last 20 years at an average of 1 every 2 years.
Air transportation in the country has suffered plane crashes that have claimed thousands of lives, including those of eminent Nigerians and foreigners.
Below is a breakdown of plane crashes in Nigeria:
• November 20, 1969: Nigeria Airways BAC VC10 crashed on landing, killing 87 people on board.
• January 22, 1973: Royal Jordanian Airlines flight 707 carrying 171 Nigerian Muslims returning from Mecca and five crewmen crashed in Kano, killing all on board.
• March 1, 1978: Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashed in Kano, killing 16 people.
• November 28, 1983: Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashed near Enugu, killing 53 on board.
• December 1988: Skypower Brandeironte aircraft overshot Ilorin Airport’s runway, killing all the passengers.
• February 24, 1991: British Helicopter crashed in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, killing all nine people on board.
• May 21, 1991: A Cessna Citation 550 of Ashaka Cement, Hombe, crashed, killing all on board.
• June 26, 1991: An Okada Air Bac-11 crashed in Sokoto, killing three persons.
• September 26, 1992: Nigerian Air Force A C-130 plane crashed minutes after take-off from Lagos. All 200 on board killed.
• June 24, 1995: Harka Air Services Tupolev 34 crashed on landing in Lagos, killing 16.
• November 13, 1995: Nigeria Airways Boeing 737-2F9 crashed on landing in Kaduna, killing 9.
• January 17, 1996: Ibrahim Abacha, son of Sani Abacha, was killed in a plane crash. The group “United Front for Nigeria’s Liberation” (UFNL) claimed responsibility for the crash.
• November 7, 1996: A Nigerian ADC (Aviation Development Corporation) Airline Boeing 727-231 flying from Port Harcourt to Lagos with 142 passengers and 9 crew members crashed on landing, plunging into the lagoon with all on board killed.
• January 31, 1997: Sky Power Express Airways Embraer 110PIA crashed on landing in Yola, killing five.
• September 12, 1997: NAF Dornier 228-212 in Nguru, Borno State ran into a ditch during take-off, none of the 10 people died.
• January 5, 2000: SkyPower Express Airways Bandeirante 110P1A crashes on landing in Abuja, killing 17.
• October 26, 2000: Dornier aircraft plunged into a thick bush near the Niger Delta, 6 occupants injured.
• May 4, 2002: EAS Airlines’ BAC 1-11-500 with 105 people on board crashed and burst into flames in a densely populated suburb of Kano, killing 76 on board and 72 on the ground bringing total casualties to148.
• November 30, 2003: A Cargo aircraft of Hydro Cargo, Brussels, Belgium, crash-landed.
• March 6, 2004: An Aenail spray aircraft with registration number 5NBEF belonging to Berfieex Nigeria Ltd, crashed at the Bauchi Airport.
• July 26, 2004: Pan African Airlines’ helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in Eacraros, Delta State, killing four persons on board.
• December 29, 2004: A Boeing 727 of Chanchangi Airlines belly-landed at the MMA.
• December 29, 2004: A Kenya Airlines aircraft crashed- landed at the MMA due to gear fault.
• January 28, 2005: A Nigeria Air Force fighter plane crashed into a farmland in Yar Kanya, Kano State.
• February 25, 2005: ADC’s B73 aircraft had its tyre burnt while landing at Yola Airport.
• March 27, 2005: A Boeing 737 of Bellview had one of its engines caught fire.
• June 11/12, 2005: Lagos: a Boeing 727-200 aircraft belonging to the domestic Chachangi Airlines overshot the runway at Murtala Muhammed Airport, while yet another overshot the runway at the airport in Jos in central Nigeria a day earlier.
• June 24, 2005: A Russian aircraft belonging to Harka Air crash- landed at the MMA, all the people on board died
• July 6, 2005, Port Harcourt: An Air France A330 plane crashed into a herd of cattle at Port Harcourt airport, sustaining serious damage and killing many of the cows.
• July 23, 2005, a Lufthansa aircraft crash-landed at Lagos airport and was badly damaged, but no life was lost.
• October 22, 2005: A Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 with 117 people on board crashed shortly after take-off from Lagos. All on board killed.
• December 10, 2005: A Sosoliso Airlines DC-9 crashes in Port Harcourt, killing all 103 on board.
• September 17, 2006: An 18-seater Dornier 228 Air Force transport plane, carrying 15 senior army officers and three crew members crashed in Benue State, leaving only three survivors.
• October 29, 2006: Aviation Development Corporation Airline Boeing 737 with 104 on board crashed minutes after take-off from Abuja’s airport. All but 6 perished in the disaster.
• November 10, 2006: OAS Service Helicopter crashed in Warri, Delta state killing four on board.
• August 2, 2007: Bristow-owned helicopter crashed inside ExxonMobil facility in Port Harcourt.
• March 15, 2008: Beechcraft 1900D plane marked 5N-JAH, belonging to Wing Aviation crashed in Cross River State. The wreckage was not found until 6 months after. All four crew members died.
• March 14, 2002: A helicopter belonging to the Joint Task Force (JTF) crashed in Kabong, Jos, killing all members on-board including four senior police officers.
• May 4, 2002: Executive Airline Services (EAS) BAC-1-11-525Ft aircraft crashed at Aminu Kano International Airport Kano, killing 70 people.
• December 10 2005: A Port Harcourt bound Sosoliso Airlines flight 1145 crash-landed in Port Harcourt Airport, killing 109 passengers including 60 students of Jesuit Loyola College Abuja.
• October 22, 2005: A twin Engine Boeing 737, belonging to Bellview Airline crashed in Lisa Village, Ogun State and killed all the 117 passengers on board.
• October 29, 2006: An ADC aircraft crashed when it took off from Abuja, killing 105 people on board.
• November 10, 2006: A six-seater helicopter belonging to Odengene Air Shuttle (OAS) crashed in Delta State, killing two people.
• September 16 2006: Air Force plane crashed in Benue State killing Army generals.
• March 15, 2008: A twin-turbo Prop 19-seater aircraft belonging to Wings Aviation Ltd crashed in Calabar while on a routine flight from MMA, Lagos.
• March 8, 2011: HS-125 chartered aircraft crashed in Bauchi. No casualty.
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Source: Channels TV
