What happened
A training flight operated by Nigeria Airways departed Lagos, Nigeria, bound for Ilorin Airport. The crew consisted of an instructor captain acting as pilot-in-command and a trainee captain acting as the pilot flying. During the approach to runway 05, the aircraft was cleared for a touch-and-go maneuver. As the aircraft descended through 400 feet, the autopilot was disengaged, followed by the autothrottles at 80 feet. The flight was established on the ILS with landing gear down and flaps set to 35°.
The trainee pilot crossed the runway threshold at an altitude of approximately 60 feet. The aircraft subsequently touched down approximately 2,913 feet from the threshold, leaving very little remaining runway for the maneuver. During the landing roll, the trainee failed to reduce the throttles fully, requiring intervention from the instructor. Following the main gear touchdown, the nosewheel remained off the ground until the instructor manually pushed the control column down.
Upon the nosewheel making contact with the runway, the trainee pilot immediately applied takeoff power. While the instructor was performing reconfiguration procedures, the trainee alerted the instructor that the end of the runway was approaching. The instructor attempted to abort the takeoff by deploying spoilers and applying brakes; however, no formal abort announcement was made. The DC-10 overran the runway, coming to a stop 649 meters along the extended centerline and 44 meters left of the centerline. During the overrun, the aircraft struck ILS antenna bars, electrical switch posts, and approach light supports on the runway 05 clearway. A fire broke out following these impacts and consumed the fuselage. There were zero fatalities among the nine crew members, all of whom escaped without injury.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was the excessive amount of runway used during the landing, combined with a lack of situational awareness regarding the throttle positions by both pilots during the critical decision-making period. A breakdown in communication and coordination between the instructor, trainee pilot, and trainee flight engineer also contributed to the overrun.
Additional factors included:
- Inconsistent flight standards within Nigeria Airways, specifically noting that simulator training did not follow a logical progression for live aircraft operations.
- The severity of the accident was increased by collisions with heavy approach light structures and the inadequate response from airport fire services.
- Visibility conditions were noted to be near the minimum allowable limits for a training flight.