What happened
During an approach to runway 19L at Lagos-Murtala Muhammed Airport, the flight crew encountered adverse weather characterized by intense rainfall and high winds. While the co-pilot was initially managing the flight, the captain intervened to steepen the descent because the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter was maintaining an excessive altitude. During this maneuver, the aircraft was hit by a severe downdraft while positioned above the runway threshold. This atmospheric disturbance caused the aircraft to pitch downward, leading to a nose gear impact with the runway surface. Following the initial impact, the aircraft bounced and drifted toward the left side of the runway. The sequence ended when the aircraft veered off the paved surface and rolled toward the apron, where it struck a stationary Fokker F27 Friendship 200MP, registration NAF908, belonging to the Nigerian Air Force.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in heavy rain and strong wind conditions.
- The crew attempted to correct a high approach profile by increasing the descent rate.
- A sudden downward air current caused the aircraft to strike the runway nose-first.
- The collision resulted in the total destruction of both the Twin Otter and the parked Fokker F27 Friendship 200MP.
- The accident resulted in one fatality and eight injuries among the occupants of the Twin Otter.