What happened
A twin-engine aircraft, operating a charter service for the Nigerian newspaper 'This Day', departed from Jos Airport bound for Maiduguri. The flight was carrying a total of 18 people, consisting of 14 passengers and four crew members. Shortly after the departure from Jos, the flight crew received reports of favorable weather at the destination, noting a visibility of approximately 9 km.
However, visibility conditions deteriorated shortly thereafter, dropping to 5 km. As the aircraft approached Maiduguri, the crew encountered increasingly poor weather. Air Traffic Control (ATC) issued instructions to divert the flight to an alternative airport to avoid the deteriorating conditions. The crew entered a holding pattern in an attempt to wait for the weather to clear; however, the pilot subsequently notified ATC that a diversion was not possible due to insufficient fuel reserves.
In response to the critical fuel situation, the captain attempted an emergency landing approximately 12 km from the destination airport. The aircraft struck an open field and came to a halt. While the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair, all 18 occupants survived the impact with only minor injuries.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the emergency landing was the depletion of fuel reserves, which prevented the crew from executing the recommended diversion to another airfield during periods of poor visibility and adverse weather.