What happened
A chartered flight operated from Lagos to Warri, with a scheduled stop in Lekki, was conducting an aerial inspection of the Chevron facility at Opuekaba. The aircraft, a Cessna Caravan registered 5N-PAN, was cleared to descend to 700 feet for the inspection before being reassigned to 2,500 feet to continue its route.
During the final approach to runway 03 at Warri, the pilot configured the aircraft for landing by deploying flaps and reducing speed. As the aircraft reached approximately 1.5 nautical miles from the runway, it was flying at an altitude between 350 and 400 feet. At this stage, the pilot noted a vibration from the engine, which was immediately followed by a loss of engine response despite attempts to increase throttle. In response to the power loss, the pilot retracted the flaps and feathered the propeller. After re-selecting flap 30° and unfeathering the propeller, engine torque was restored.
However, due to the proximity of a building near the runway threshold, the pilot elected to abort the landing. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to the left of the approach centerline, which led to the aircraft ditching into a swampy area, impacting scattered trees and vegetation during the descent.
Findings
The incident was characterized by a momentary engine power loss during the approach phase, which prompted the pilot to execute an emergency maneuver to avoid obstacles near the runway.