What happened
During an arrival into Abuja-Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, the flight crew encountered challenging meteorological conditions characterized by heavy rainfall, low cloud ceilings, and significant turbulence. Because the Instrument Landing System (ILS) was not properly calibrated for use, the crew attempted to execute an approach using VOR/DME navigation.
However, due to a misidentification of the VOR station's location, the crew initiated the final approach phase earlier than required. This error caused the aircraft type to descend below the necessary altitude prematurely. Consequently, the aircraft impacted a mountainside approximately 12.2 km before reaching runway 22. The accident resulted in three fatalities and two survivors.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary factor was an incorrect approach configuration by the crew, specifically the decision to begin the descent too early. While the presence of severe weather and heavy rain contributed to the difficulty of the operation, the fundamental cause was the navigational error regarding the VOR position.