Recent air accidents in Nigeria

In general, air safety in Nigeria has improved since the major crashes in 2005-2006, but still a number of serious incidents in which lives are lost and/or an aircraft is written off occur every year. Not all of them are reported in the press, and only three (the Sosoliso, Wings Aviation and Dana Air crashes) are mentioned on the website of the Accident Investigation Bureau.

• 27 OCT 2012 – 5N-??? – Bell 206L4 – Pan African Airlines – offshore
• 25 OCT 2012 – 5N-BMJ – Cessna 208B Grand Caravan – Private owner – Yola
• 03 JUN 2012 – 5N-RAM – McDonnell Douglas MD-83 – Dana Air – Lagos*
• ?? ??? 2012 – 5N-CAG – Beech 58 Baron – NCAT – Zaria
• ?? ??? 2011 – 5N-BMM – Cessna 560XLS Citation Excel – Pan African Airlines – Port Harcourt
• 28 JUL 2011 – 5N-BKA – AS 350B2 Ecureuil – OAS Helicopters – Ikonifin
• 24 MAY 2011 – N364UZ – Beechcraft King Air C90 – Shawa Engineering – Kaduna
• 11 DEC 2009 – 5N-BKJ – Aerospatiale AS 332L1 Super Puma – Bristow Nigeria – offshore
• 09 OCT 2009 – 5N-BIC – Bell 407 – Gitto Construction – Uyo
• 22 JUL 2008 – 5N-CAV – Socata TB9 Tampico – NCAT – Zaria
• 15 MAR 2008 – 5N-JAH – Beechcraft 1900D – Wings Aviation – Besi*
• 03 AUG 2007 – 5N-BIQ – Bell 412EP – Bristow Nigeria – Eket
• 10 NOV 2006 – 5N-BHU – AS 350B2 Ecureuil – OAS Helicopters – Warri
• 29 OCT 2006 – 5N-BFK – Boeing 737-200 – ADC Airlines – Abuja
• 10 DEC 2005 – 5N-BFD – Douglas DC-9 – Sosoliso Airlines – Port Harcourt*
• 28 NOV 2005 – N73MW – Beechcraft Super King Air 200 – Oriental Energy Resources – Kaduna
• 22 OCT 2005 – 5N-BFN – Boeing 737-200 – Bellview Airlines – Lagos

Incidents involving security agencies:

• 05 JUL 2012 – 5N-BKS – Diamond DA42MPP – PICOMSS – Benin
• 02 MAY 2012 – NAF??? – Chengdu F-7Ni – Nigerian Air Force – Kaduna
• 14 MAR 2012 – 5N-POL – Bell 427 – Nigerian Police – Jos
• 28 OCT 2011 – NAF??? – Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros – Nigerian Air Force – Uyo
• 11 MAY 2011 – NAF??? – Chengdu FT-7Ni – Nigerian Air Force – Gboko
• 22 MAR 2011 – NAF??? – Chengdu F-7Ni – Nigerian Air Force – Kano
• 12 MAR 2010 – NAF950 – Aeritalia G.222 – Nigerian Air Force – Port Harcourt
• 26 JAN 2010 – NN06 – Agusta A109E Power – Nigerian Navy – Port Harcourt
• 28 MAY 2009 – NAF054 – Van’s RV-6A – Nigerian Air Force – Jaji
• 20 APR 2007 – NN?? – Agusta A109E Power – Nigerian Navy – Owerri
• 17 SEP 2006 – NAF033 – Dornier Do228 – Nigerian Air Force – Vende Ikya

Crash site at Kaduna of a Beechcraft King Air C90 (N364UZ) belonging to Shawa Engineering

Makurdi Airport To Be Opened For Civil Operations

There are reports that Makurdi Airport will be opened for civil operations. The military will soon conclude an agreement with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). This news is confusing though, as Sosoliso Airlines operated flights to Makurdi in the recent past and Associated Aviation currently does.

From The Olden Days: Zenith Air, Triax Airlines and Sosoliso Airlines

Nigerian airlines mostly have their maintenance base in Abuja, Kano or Lagos, the major airports in the country. Exceptions in the past were Okada Air that was based in Benin City and Oriental Airlines in Owerri. City Link Airlines (1993-1996) was the only airline to operate from Port Harcourt with an EMB-110 Bandeirante. Kaduna is still the home base of Chanchangi Airlines, although the airline plans to build a new hangar at Abuja.

Some of the airlines that were established in the early nineties, after the airline deregulation in Nigeria, Zenith Air (1992), Triax Airlines (1992), and Sosoliso Airlines (1994) had Enugu Airport as home base. Zenith Air was a short-lived carrier and operated two DC-9s. The former director of Zenith Air is now the CEO of the announced low-cost carrier Red 1 Xpress. Triax Airlines operated three B727s until the late nineties, while Sosoliso Airlines commenced scheduled operations in 2000 with a B727 wet-leased from JAT Airways. The airline subsequently flew with two DC-9s and two MD-80s. The last airline was grounded in December 2005, after a crash landing at Port Harcourt in which 110 passengers and crew were killed.