What happened
A scheduled passenger flight, operating under call sign OSL 1 145, departed Abuja at 12:25 UTC bound for Port Harcourt. The aircraft was carrying a total of 110 persons on board, consisting of 103 passengers and 7 crew members. During the initial stages of the flight, operations proceeded without incident.
While cruising at 24,000 feet, the flight established contact with Port Harcourt Approach Control. The controllers provided instructions for an ILS approach to runway 21, including updated atmospheric data such as a QNH of 1008 and a temperature of 33°C. As the aircraft descended through FL160, the crew inquired about local weather conditions near the station.
At approximately 13:04 UTC, the crew reported being established on the glide slope and localizer at 8 nautical miles from the touchdown point. The approach controller then notified the flight that precipitation was approaching the runway area and transferred communication to the Tower. Upon contacting the Tower, the pilot was cleared to land but advised to use caution due to a slightly wet runway surface.
At roughly 13:08 UTC, the aircraft type impacted a grass strip located 540 meters from the threshold of runway 21 and approximately 70 meters to the left of the runway edge. During the initial impact, the tail section struck a concrete drainage culvert with significant force. This collision caused the aircraft to disintegrate and ignite, creating a fire trail spanning 790 meters. The wreckage trail extended a total of 1,120 meters, with the forward fuselage and cockpit separated from the main debris field.
Emergency response efforts recovered 103 fatalities and 7 survivors; however, five of those survivors later succumbed to their injuries in a hospital.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary cause was the crew's decision to proceed with the approach past the Decision Altitude without having the runway or airport visible. Several contributing factors were identified, including:
- The crew failed to execute a timely missed approach and utilized incorrect procedures during the attempted go-around.
- The aircraft encountered wind shear activity and deteriorating weather conditions involving thunderstorms and rain.
- Reduced visibility caused by the storm, compounded by the fact that airfield lighting was not operational, likely prevented the pilot from identifying the runway.
- The heavy impact with an exposed concrete drainage culvert led to the structural breakup of the aircraft and the subsequent fire.