What: Nigerian Navy Agusta A109E Where: Ogbia Creek, Bayelsa Nigeria When: Dec 15, 2012, 1500 hrs Who: 6 aboard, 6 fatalities Why: A Nigerian Navy helicopter crashed in Bayelsa Nigeria. Among the fatalities is the governor of Kaduna, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.
Several politicians had traveled to Bayelsa for the funeral of the father of Mr. Oronto Douglas, the President’s Special Adviser on Research and Documentation.
Also aboard was former national security adviser Gen Owoye Azazi. The rest of the casualties are governor’s aide, Dauda Tsoho and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal who is Azazi’s aide as well as the pilots, Commander Murtala Mohammed Daba and Lt. Adeyemi O. Sowole.
The helicopter crashed five minutes after it took off, between 3:30 and 4 pm around Nembe-Okoroba area. Witnesses say the helicopter nosedived, then was a crash, and the chipper burst into flames. There was a big burst of black smoke.
Search and rescue operation was performed by a combined team of personnel from Joint Task Force (OPS PULO SHIELD), Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, NEMA and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps. The remains have been taken to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
Another chopper with registration number 5NBOR carried other aides and security details to Port Harcourt without incident.
The crash is under investigation.
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On April 4, 2011, a United Airlines Airbus 320-232 with 109 passengers and crew aboard returned to the airport about 20 minutes after take-off due to electrical difficulties and smoke in the cockpit. On landing, the crew described a loss of anti-skid braking and nose-wheel steering and passengers had to exit via slide. (The right front slide failed.) Dan Bower is investigator-in-charge of the NTSB team including reps of Federal Aviation Administration,United Airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, theAssociation of Flight Attendants, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and an Airbus rep appointed by the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) of the Government of France.
What: United Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from New Orleans,LA to San Francisco,CA Where: Louis Armstrong Airport When: April 4 2011 7:20 a.m. after a 13 minute flight Who: 100 passengers 5 crew Why: After takeoff, the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, and returned to the airport. The pilot reported losing all instruments, and landed on backup power, blowing out a tire and running off the runway. Passengers evacuated via slides.
After landing, passengers were taken to the Hilton.
TRANSCRIPT OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, PILOT CONVERSATION
UA 497: Clear for takeoff runway 19, thank for you very much.
UA 497: We need to vector back to the airport, we got a smoke issue with the airplane.
N.O. Approach: Turn right 030 (degrees) and maintain 4,000 (feet.)
UA 497: 030 4,000. And we’d like the longest runway please.
N.O. Approach: There are men and equipment on the runway – they’re going to try to get them off now. Descend at pilot’s discretion. Maintain 2,000.
UA 497: We are declaring an emergency and please roll equipment for our landing please.
N.O. Approach: We are unable for (runway) 10, can you take (runway) 19?
UA 497: ..no..
N.O. Approach: Roger, we are clearing the runway now.
Airport operations: How much time do we have?
New Orleans Tower: I’d say they are about 11 miles to the west.
Airport operations: Tower, we can start trying to pull them off, but I don’t think we will get them all off in time.
N.O. Approach: United 497, Say souls on board and fuel remaining.
UA 497: 106 souls on board, fuel remaining 32,400 pounds.
N.O. Approach: They are still trying to get all the vehicles off the runway and 19 is still available if you like….
New Orleans Tower: … working as fast as they can (unintelligible) There is a bunch of equipment on there they’re tying to get off now.
UA 497: You need to clear it for us.
New Orleans Tower: I understand, sir. We’re getting them off as fast as we can.
N.O. Approach: Turn right heading 140, main 2,000 ….cleared ILS runway 10 approach.
New Orleans Tower: Can you verify the vehicles are exiting?
Airport operations: We are attempting to get the vehicles off right now, I’m removing the cones also.
New Orleans Tower: OK, cause I haven’t seen any of the vehicles move and the aircraft is ten to the northwest and they have to have runway 100.
N.O. Approach: United 497, Turn right heading 180.
UA 497: um…. We only have one… um … (Alarms sounding in background.)
N.O. Approach: United 497 say again sir?
New Orleans Tower: We need three minutes to get the runway clear.
UA 497: (alarms blaring) We’ve lost all our instruments right now and we’re going to need (directions)
N.O. Approach: United turn left heading, 20 degrees left
N.O. Approach: Just continue left turn, I’ll tell you when to stop.
UA 497: (unintelligible) What vector are we from the airport?
N.O. Approach: Right now sir you are on the 330 degree heading from the airport. Northwest of the airport for runway 19er. If you continue on this present heading you’ll set up on the shoreline for 19.
UA 497: Shoreline for 19.
N.O. Approach: I can set u up there or I can vector you, what’d you need?
UA 497: That’s fine.
N.O. Approach: (unintelligible…)You got the water, right?
UA 497: Yeah, we got the water and we’re going to stop here about 600 feet.
N.O. Approach: Roger that. The airport’s currently at your 1 o’clock and five miles.
UA 497: 1 o’clock and five miles roger.
New Orleans Tower to fire crews: Fox-6, next arrival runway 19er is our aircraft. And the aircraft is approximately 3 miles northwest runway 19er.
N.O. Approach: If you start your right turn now I can set you up on final.
UA 497: Start turn on final.
New Orleans Tower to fire crews: The aircraft is over the shoreline around two miles out. You do have permission to proceed on to the runway after he lands.
N.O. Approach: Make a right turn. The airport is off to yoru right side,
N.O. Approach: 497, clear to land 19er. You’ll be able to make it sir? Winds 180 at 16, gusts to 20, Clear to land. Runway 19er.
New Orleans Tower to fire trucks: Fox-5, this is our aircraft touvh ing down bow.
New Orleans Tower: Follow the aircraft down the runway.
New Orleans Tower: We’re going to need runway 10 operational. Runway 19er is fouled at this time.
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What: Blue Bird Aviation Beechcraft 1900D en route to Quarrel airport in Mogadishu Where: Wilson Airport When: NOV 9, 2009 Who: 2 Why: After developing an on-flight problem, the Beechcraft was on return to Wilson Airport when it broke through the airport fence and caught on fire.
The two pilots were retrieved in critical condition. The pilot died either on the way to Kenyatta National Hospital. The co-pilot died shortly after hospital admittance.
George’s Point of View
The following is not really an opinion, since it is documented fact: this is the fourth plane disaster to have occurred near the airport which borders Nairobi National Park. There are serious concerns about the safety of the airport. African aviation is considered the least safe in the world.
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What: Rans S-6 Coyote Where: Letjelište Zvekovac, Croatia When: June 16, 2011 Who: 2 fatalities, one injury Why: A home built ultralight carrying two passengers on a training exercise crashed at an airfield two hundred feet from the runway between 10:00 and 10:15 pm. The plane fell from the sky, and exploded when it impacted the ground. A local farmer who was on site to cut the grass attempted to come to the aid of the pilots who were calling for help, and was injured by the fire.
The light aluminum frame burned quickly.
Apparently Vladimir Bodiš and Marinko Lovri? survived the impact but died in the fire. Bodiš was an Eagle test pilot with a commercial license, and Lovri? taught military pilots although a Croatian newspaper said they found no license for him.
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On December 18, 2012, the crew aboard a RCAF Cormorant search and rescue found and rescued a snowboarder stranded in a steep ravine between Horseshoe Bay and Lions Bay, British Columbia.
In poor visibility and blowing snow, the 442 Transport and Rescue Squad hoisted Search and Rescue Teams 300 feet through trees to the waiting snowboarder who was retrieved, then flown to Vancouver International Airport and handed over to B.C. Ambulance.
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What: Royal New Zealand Air Force Bell UH-1H Iroquois en route from Ohakea Air Base in Manawatu to Anzac Day commemorations in Wellington Where: 40km NE of Wellington New Zealand When: Apr 25 2010 Who: 4 aboard, 3 fatalities Why: The helicopter crashed in rugged terrain near Pukerua Bay, in fog, killing 3 aboard (Flight Lieutenant Hayden Peter Madsen, pilot, 33; Officer Daniel Stephen Gregory, pilot, 28, and Corporal Benjamin Andrew Carson, helicopter crewman, 25) and injuring one.
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