2013 aviation accident
Associated Aviation Flight 361 was a domestic charter flight operated by Associated Aviation that on 3 October 2013 crashed on takeoff from Lagos, Nigeria, killing 16 of the 20 people on board. The aircraft, a twin turboprop Embraer 120 Brasilia, was transporting the body of Nigerian politician Olusegun Agagu to Akure and Nigeria, for burial.[1][2]
Accident
The aircraft was conveying the body of former governor of Ondo State Olusegun Agagu from Lagos to Akure for burial. It lifted off from runway 18L of Murtala Mohammed Airport at about 09:32 local time (08:32 UTC). The crew received warnings from the aircraft's aural warning system during the takeoff-roll and also failed to make "V1" and "rotate" calls; the aircraft then struggled to gain altitude immediately after takeoff.[3] Less than a minute after lifting off, the aircraft impacted terrain in a nose-down-and-near-90-degrees-bank attitude.[3]
Reports differ but according to the manifest the flight had 13 passengers and seven crew; four passengers and two crew survived the accident but one of passengers later died in hospital.[3] Fatalities included relatives of Olusegun Agagu; and officials of the Ondo State Government. An elaborate burial ceremony planned for Agagu was postponed as a result of the crash.[4]
Aircraft
The aircraft used for the flight was an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, registered 5N-BJY, and manufactured in 1990, at the time of the crash, 5N-BJY was 23 years old. It was delivered to Associated Aviation in May 2007.[5]
Investigation
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adding to it. (December 2018)
Nigeria's Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), responsible for investigating air crashes, opened an investigation into the fatal accident.[6] On 11 October 2013, the AIB released a preliminary report suggesting that improperly configured flaps for takeoff might have led to the crash. The report also reveals that the No. 1 engine appeared to be working normally whilst the No. 2 engine produced significantly less thrust.[3]
An analysis of Nigeria's AIB shows that both engines were operating, but, the left hand torque was fixed at 76% after the engine was started instead of the normal value of 22%. The crew tried to resolve the problem with an Electronic Engine Control test but without results. At that point the crew had to shut down the engines, however, they continued without the reference to the Minimum Equipment List, and without an operative torque indicator the flight was to not be continued. During the taxiing phase the pilots are suspecting that the torque indication was caused by an EEC problem and they decided to use an engine temperature indication to adjust the problem on engine, but, this procedure doesn't appear on the flight manual.[3]
On 18 April 2018 the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) released the final report stated that the probable cause was, a decision made by the crew to continue with takeoff despite the abnormal RPM indication of n° 2 propeller, a low altitude stall at the start of the takeoff roll caused by the low thrust from n°2 engine, caused by an undetermined malfuction of the propeller control unit.[3] Some other contributory factors as also found.[3]
Aftermath
The Nigerian AIB made some recommendations for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) wich are, improve the enforcement of the regulations especially to implementing a training program for Commercial Air Transport (CAT) operators approved personnel, the intensification of the safety oversight function on the airline to guarantee all flight operation to be carried out in accordance to the operation manuals that are approved, to will be in accordance with the provisions of Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CAR), intensifying the safety oversight over Associated Aviation, to assure about the staff welfare problems and to make sure that the payments are settled promptly, eventually the NCAA should guarantee that the State's confidential voluntary reporting system is established and implemented in conformity with the State Security Program.[3]
