What happened
On the evening of October 22, 2005, Bellview Airlines Flight 210, a Boeing 737-200 with registration 5N-BFN, was operating a scheduled domestic service from Lagos to Abuja. The aircraft departed Murtala Muhammed Airport at 20:35 hours carrying 111 passengers and 6 crew members. During the takeoff roll and initial climb, the flight crew requested a right-hand turn departure to avoid local weather conditions.
Shortly after the aircraft became airborne, the pilot established contact with Approach Control, reporting the aircraft's position at approximately 1,600 feet. This was the final communication received from the flight. Following a period of silence, air traffic controllers were unable to re-establish contact with the aircraft. The wreckage was subsequently located on October 23, 2005, in an area of open terrain and woods at Lisa Village, Ogun State. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in 117 fatalities, leaving no survivors.
Prior to the flight, a discrepancy regarding low pressure in the brake accumulator system had been identified and logged. Maintenance personnel had inspected the system and, after consulting the Minimum Equipment List, determined the aircraft could be released for service despite the faulty brake accumulator.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) in instrument meteorological conditions.
- The crew had noted a low pressure reading of 650 psi in the brake accumulator, significantly below the standard 1000 psi.
- Maintenance engineers released the aircraft for flight following an evaluation of the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) regarding the faulty brake accumulator.