Bellview Airlines Flight 210
Encyclopedia
On 22 October 2005, Bellview Airlines Flight 210, a Boeing 737-200 aircraft, crashed shortly after taking off from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos
en route to the Nigeria
n capital Abuja
, killing all 117 people on board.
government officials claimed that at least half of those on board survived the crash, but later reports indicated no survivors, blaming confusion at the crash scene for the initial mistake. The aircraft crashed in a village called Lisa in the Ifo local government area of Ogun State, southwest Nigeria. The flight had 111 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
pending an investigation. The plane sent out a distress signal shortly after leaving the airport. Radio communication with the plane was then lost due to an intense electrical storm
. Boeing
officials have offered to assist in the investigation if invited to by the Nigerian government
. Boeing officials have conjectured that a combination of poor maintenance of the plane by the ground crew together with a lightning strike to the right wing of the plane caused the right engine to ignite, causing the aircraft to bank heavily to the left and eventually lose control.
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
en route to the Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n capital Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
, killing all 117 people on board.
Casualties
Early reports from Oyo StateOyo State
Ọyọ State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east by Osun State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west partly by Ogun State and partly by the Republic of Benin....
government officials claimed that at least half of those on board survived the crash, but later reports indicated no survivors, blaming confusion at the crash scene for the initial mistake. The aircraft crashed in a village called Lisa in the Ifo local government area of Ogun State, southwest Nigeria. The flight had 111 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
Causes
Bellview suspended all flights from LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
pending an investigation. The plane sent out a distress signal shortly after leaving the airport. Radio communication with the plane was then lost due to an intense electrical storm
Electrical storm
Electrical storm may refer to:* A thunderstorm* A medical condition of chaotic electrical activity of the heart, usually manifested by ventricular tachycardia* "Electrical Storm" , song by U2...
. Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
officials have offered to assist in the investigation if invited to by the Nigerian government
Politics of Nigeria
Nigeria is a Federal Republic modeled after the United States, with executive power exercised by the president and with influences from the Westminster System model in the composition and management of the upper and lower houses of the bicameral legislature. However, the President of Nigeria is...
. Boeing officials have conjectured that a combination of poor maintenance of the plane by the ground crew together with a lightning strike to the right wing of the plane caused the right engine to ignite, causing the aircraft to bank heavily to the left and eventually lose control.
External links
- ""100 feared dead in Nigeria after passenger jet crashes"," The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
(UK), October 24, 2005 - "Nigeria - where the truth is hard to find," BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- Faces in Bellview Flight 210 ...plus the heart-breaking story of the pilot