What happened
On the evening of 14 July 2008, a Boeing 737–282, registration 5N-BIG, was operating a scheduled domestic service from Murtala Muhammed International Airport to Port Harcourt International Airport. The flight, operated by Chanchangi Airlines Ltd, carried 47 people, including 41 passengers and 6 crew members.
During the approach, the flight crew encountered challenging weather conditions involving thunderstorms and rain. After initially requesting to hold at 3500 feet to wait for weather improvements, the crew later transitioned to an approach for runway 03. Following a missed approach, the aircraft was cleared to land on runway 21. Air traffic controllers had cautioned the crew that the runway surface was wet.
Upon landing, the aircraft experienced a heavy touchdown and bounced on the runway three times. Following the impacts, the aircraft traveled in an S-shaped pattern before overrunning the runway. During the excursion, the aircraft performed a 180-degree turn, causing the right engine to strike the ground. The aircraft eventually came to a rest on the left side, approximately 10 meters past the stopway. There were no fatalities, though one injury was reported among the passengers.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) at night.
- The runway surface was noted to be wet at the time of the landing.
- The sequence of events included a heavy touchdown and multiple bounces during the landing phase.