The 1995 Lagos Harka Air Services Tu-134 crash occurred on 24 June 1995, when a Tupolev Tu-134A operated by Harka Air Services from Kaduna to Lagos overran the runway upon landing at Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport crashed into a ditch and caught fire. The flight was carrying 74 passengers and 6 crew members, of which 16 died in the accident.[1]
 A Tu-134A similar to the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 24 June 1995 |
| Summary | Runway overrun |
| Site | Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria 6°34′39″N 3°19′16″E / 6.577369°N 3.321156°E |
| Total fatalities | 16 |
| Total survivors | 64 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Tupolev Tu-134A |
| Operator | Harka Air Services |
| Registration | RA-65617 |
| Flight origin | Kaduna Airport, Kaduna, Nigeria |
| Destination | Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Occupants | 80 |
| Passengers | 74 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 16 |
| Survivors | 64 |
Aircraft
editThe 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.[2]
Accident
editThe 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.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ "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.