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261 fatalities

1991-07-11: Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 — Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

On July 11, 1991, a Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 was involved in an aviation accident near Saudi Arabia. 261 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Underinflated tires overheated and burst during takeoff, and a project manager had prevented those tires from being replaced because the aircraft was behind schedule. This summary draws on records from Wikidata contributors; 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesWikidata contributorsPrimary reportUpdated 1780111919Data APIEditorial standards

On 11 July 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120, a chartered DC-8, caught fire after takeoff from Jeddah and crashed, killing all 261 on board. The investigation traced the fire to underinflated tires that burst, and discovered that a manager had prevented their replacement due to schedule pressure.

Accident

On 11 July 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120, a chartered passenger flight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Sokoto, Nigeria, caught fire shortly after takeoff from King Abdulaziz International Airport. The aircraft crashed while attempting to return for an emergency landing. All 247 passengers and 14 crew members on board died in the accident.

Investigation

The investigation traced the fire to underinflated tires, which overheated and burst during takeoff. Investigators further discovered that a project manager had prevented those tires from being replaced because the aircraft was behind schedule.

Aircraft and Operator

The aircraft was a Douglas DC-8 operated by Nationair Canada on behalf of Nigeria Airways. The accident remains the deadliest involving a DC-8 and the deadliest aviation disaster involving a Canadian airline.

Probable cause

Underinflated tires overheated and burst during takeoff, and a project manager had prevented those tires from being replaced because the aircraft was behind schedule.

Related events

Same aircraft family

More accident analyses

Investigation report by Wikidata contributors. Original record: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2634895. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the CC0 (Wikidata).