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Night Approach Accident at Kano-International Airport (D-ABEB)

Kano, NigeriaLanding (descent or approach)

On June 17, 1961, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster (registration D-ABEB) operated by Continentale Deutsche Luftreederei was involved in an aviation accident near Kano, Nigeria during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was the result of an error of judgement on the part of the captain, who, after sighting the runway lights, concentrated on keeping them in sight and failed to make adequate reference to his flight instruments. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered D-ABEB
Aircraft registered D-ABEB. Photo: G B_NZ / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

An aircraft crashed short of runway 07 at Kano-International Airport during a night approach, killing one passenger and seriously injuring six others. The captain's error of judgment was the probable cause.

Incident Overview and Casualties Following an uneventful flight from Tripoli, the crew initiated a night approach to Kano-International Airport. During the final approach, the aircraft struck the ground 3.2 kilometers short of the runway 07 threshold and crashed. The impact resulted in the death of one passenger and serious injuries to six other occupants. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident. ## Official Findings and Contributing Factors The official investigation determined that the accident was the result of an error of judgment by the captain. After sighting the runway lights, the captain concentrated on keeping them in sight and failed to make adequate reference to the flight instruments. Consequently, the aircraft descended below the obstacle clearance limit of 360 feet. In the darkness with no ground reference, the distant runway lights provided insufficient guidance regarding the aircraft's height and angle of approach, leaving the captain unaware that the aircraft had descended to ground level. The investigation also identified the captain's fatigue and the failure to turn on the aircraft's landing lights as contributing factors.

Probable cause

The accident was the result of an error of judgement on the part of the captain, who, after sighting the runway lights, concentrated on keeping them in sight and failed to make adequate reference to his flight instruments. As a result, he allowed the aircraft to descend below the obstacle clearance limit of 360 feet. In the darkness with no ground reference, the distant runway lights gave him insufficient guidance as to his height and angle of approach, and he was unaware that the aircraft had descended to ground level. The fatigue of the captain and the failure to put the aircraft's landing lights ON were considered as contributing factors.

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