Nigeria Airways Flight 2120
C-GMXQ, the aircraft involved in the accident, is seen here at Faro Airport in 1989.
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 11 July 1991 |
| Summary | Under-inflated tire which overheated, leading to a fire shortly after takeoff |
| Site |
King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 21°40′12.83″N 39°09′2.08″E / 21.6702306°N 39.1505778°ECoordinates: 21°40′12.83″N 39°09′2.08″E / 21.6702306°N 39.1505778°E |
| Passengers | 247 |
| Crew | 14 |
| Fatalities | 261 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-8-61 |
| Operator | Nationair on behalf of Nigeria Airways |
| Registration | C-GMXQ |
| Flight origin | King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| Destination | Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, Nigeria |
Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 was a chartered passenger flight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Sokoto, Nigeria on 11 July 1991 which crashed shortly after takeoff from King Abdulaziz International Airport, killing all 247 passengers and 14 crew members on board. The aircraft was a Douglas DC-8 operated by Nationair for Nigeria Airways. Flight 2120 is the deadliest accident involving a DC-8 and remains the deadliest aviation disaster involving a Canadian airline.
The aircraft involved in the accident was a 1968-built Douglas DC-8-61, registration C-GMXQ, owned by the Canadian company Nolisair, and usually operated by Nationair; at the time of the accident, it was being wet-leased to Nigeria Airways, which in turn sub-leased it to another company to transport Nigerian pilgrims to and from Mecca. William Allan, the 47-year-old pilot in command, a former Canadian Air Force pilot, had logged 10,700 flight hours and 1000 hours in type. Kent Davidge, the 36-year-old first officer, had logged 8,000 flight hours, of which 550 hours were in type, and Victor Fehr, the 46-year-old flight engineer, had logged 7,500 flight hours, of which 1000 hours were in type. The DC-8 was the primary aircraft type used by the airline.
The aircraft departed King Abdulaziz International Airport bound for Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport in Sokoto, but problems were reported shortly after takeoff. The crew attempted to return to the airport for an emergency landing, but the aircraft which was already on fire, experienced an inflight break-up, and crashed 2,875 metres (9,432 ft) short of runway 34L. When the aircraft was about 18 kilometres (11 mi) from the airport and at an altitude of 671 metres (2,201 ft), a number of bodies fell from it, indicating that the fire by that time had consumed, at least partially, the cabin floor. All 261 occupants on board—including 247 passengers—perished in the accident. As of July 2014[update], the accident remains the deadliest crash involving a Douglas DC-8, as well as the second deadliest crash taking place on Saudi Arabian soil, after Saudia Flight 163.
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Wikipedia