What happened
A flight operating from Lagos, Nigeria, to São Tomé was transporting a high-level Nigerian delegation, which included members of the government, military officers, and members of the press. During the transit, the aircraft encountered significant meteorological disturbances characterized by thunderstorm activity.
While navigating through these turbulent conditions during the cruise phase, the aircraft became uncontrollable. The plane entered a sudden dive and subsequently impacted the surface of the Gulf of Guinea, a few kilometers from Forcados. There were 30 fatalities resulting from the impact, with no survivors reported among the passengers or crew.
Findings
The investigation into the accident indicates that the aircraft was operating within active thunderstorm activity at the time of the loss of control.