1995 Lagos Harka Air Services Tu-134 Crash
Aircraft
The Tupolev Tu-134A (serial number 08068, production number 23-09) was manufactured by Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company on May 17, 1974. It was delivered to the East German airline Interflug, where it received the registration number DM-SCT (later changed to DDR-SCT in 1981). From 1990 to 1991, it was registered as D-AOBH. It was later transferred to the Soviet airline Aeroflot and assigned to the Syktyvkar air detachment of Komi UGA with the registration number СССР-65617. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it was re-registered as RA-65617 under the newly formed Komiavia. On December 15, 1992, it was leased to the Nigerian airline Harka Air Services. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 24,844 flight hours and 15,740 landings.
Accident
The aircraft was on a flight from Kaduna to Lagos, piloted by a Russian crew led by Captain V. V. Lerner, with Nigerian flight attendants. Upon approaching Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the crew received weather information indicating moderate winds and light rain. However, weather conditions deteriorated rapidly, and a heavy downpour ensued just as the aircraft was landing. The runway was wet due to the rain. As a result of hydroplaning, the aircraft could not stop effectively, overran the runway, traveled onto the safety area, and crashed into a concrete drainage ditch, breaking apart and catching fire.
The evacuation process was hindered by poor communication between the Russian pilots and Nigerian cabin crew, likely due to a language barrier. Consequently, some passengers remained seated in the cabin and perished in the fire. Sixteen passengers died in the accident.
References
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
- ^ "Туполев Ту-134А Бортовой №: RA-65617". Russianplanes.net. Archived from the original on 2013-04-22. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
- ^ "Катастрофа Ту-134А а/к Harka Air Service в а/п Лагос-Муртала". airdisaster.ru. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
- ^ "Aircraft accident Tupolev 134A RA-65617 Lagos-Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS)". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 2013-04-22. Retrieved 2013-04-16.