Kano air disaster

Kano air disaster

JY-ADO, the aircraft involved in the accident, at London Heathrow Airport in 1971
Accident summary
Date 22 January 1973
Summary Landing gear collapse, bad weather
Site Kano International Airport (KAN), Nigeria
12°02′58″N 8°31′15″E / 12.04944°N 8.52083°E / 12.04944; 8.52083
Passengers 193
Crew 9
Fatalities 176
Injuries (non-fatal) 26
Survivors 26
Aircraft type Boeing 707-3D3C
Operator Alia on behalf of Nigeria Airways
Registration JY-ADO
Flight origin King Abdulaziz Int'l Airport, Jeddah
Destination Ikeja Int'l Airport, Lagos (now Murtala Muhammad Int'l Airport)

The Kano air disaster was a chartered Boeing 707 passenger flight on 22 January 1973 which crashed while attempting to land at Kano International Airport. It is the worst aviation disaster ever to take place in Nigeria,[1] as 176 passengers and crew perished in the crash. There were 26 survivors.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the accident was a 2 year old Boeing 707-3D3C, JY-ADO, owned by Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines, operating on behalf of Nigeria Airways. It first flew in 1971 and was powered by 4 Pratt and Whitney JT3D engines. It had a manufacturer serial number (MSN) of 850.[1]

Flight

The Boeing 707, operated by Alia, had been chartered by Nigeria Airways to fly pilgrims back from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Lagos, Nigeria. Bad weather at Lagos caused the crew to divert to Kano. Kano International Airport was experiencing high winds at the time. The aircraft landed nose wheel first, and the nose wheel collapsed after hitting a depression in the runway.[2] The right main landing gear leg subsequently collapsed. The 707 turned 180 degrees, excursed from the runway and caught fire.

Of the 202 passengers and crew on board, 176 died and only 26 survived. At the time it occurred, the Kano air disaster was the deadliest-ever aviation accident,[3] a distinction it only held for about 14 months when Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashed in France killing 346 people.[4]

JED
KAN
LOS
A map showing the locations of the Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED), Ikeja International Airport (LOS) and Kano International Airport (KAN - the site of the accident)

References

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