EAS Airlines Flight 4226
Encyclopedia
EAS Airlines
Flight 4226 was a scheduled flight between the Nigeria
n cities of Kano
(Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
) and Lagos
(Murtala Muhammed International Airport). At about 14:35 local time (13:35 UTC) on 4 May 2002, Flight 4226 from Kano crash-landed in a residential area of the city called Gwammaja. The plane, a BAC One-Eleven 500
with 69 passengers and 8 crew members people on board, burst into flames upon impact. The accident resulted in the deaths of 64 passengers and 7 crew in addition to at least 74 civilians on the ground.
Following an investigation by the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, the cause of the crash was ruled to be pilot error
. The findings of the investigation stated the engines failed following their intake of a large amount of dust. This occurred as a result of the pilot overshooting the runway and continuing the take-off through a grassy area at the end of the runway. Following the engine failure the plane would rapidly descend into the neighboring Gwammaja area of Kano ultimately destroying several structures on the ground. Its crash would result in the deaths of all but five of the plane's passengers in addition to 74 civilians on the ground.
Prior to the fatal crash, the aircraft involved in the incident had been grounded on two previous occasions: once in 2001 for eleven days to perform engine maintenance, and again in 2002 for 52 days in order to address engine problems.
Flight 4226 has the highest death toll of any aviation accident involving a BAC One-Eleven.
EAS Airlines
EAS Airlines was an airline based in Lagos, Nigeria. It operated passenger services within Nigeria and charters to neighbouring countries. It also provided executive jet services under the name Executive Airline Services...
Flight 4226 was a scheduled flight between 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 cities of Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
(Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is located in Kano, a city in the Kano State of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano. The airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal. Both terminals share the same...
) and Lagos
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...
(Murtala Muhammed International Airport). At about 14:35 local time (13:35 UTC) on 4 May 2002, Flight 4226 from Kano crash-landed in a residential area of the city called Gwammaja. The plane, a BAC One-Eleven 500
BAC One-Eleven
The British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven, also known as the BAC-111, BAC-1-11 or BAC 1-11, was a British short-range jet airliner of the 1960s and 1970s...
with 69 passengers and 8 crew members people on board, burst into flames upon impact. The accident resulted in the deaths of 64 passengers and 7 crew in addition to at least 74 civilians on the ground.
Following an investigation by the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, the cause of the crash was ruled to be pilot error
Pilot error
Pilot error is a term used to describe the cause of an accident involving an airworthy aircraft where the pilot is considered to be principally or partially responsible...
. The findings of the investigation stated the engines failed following their intake of a large amount of dust. This occurred as a result of the pilot overshooting the runway and continuing the take-off through a grassy area at the end of the runway. Following the engine failure the plane would rapidly descend into the neighboring Gwammaja area of Kano ultimately destroying several structures on the ground. Its crash would result in the deaths of all but five of the plane's passengers in addition to 74 civilians on the ground.
Prior to the fatal crash, the aircraft involved in the incident had been grounded on two previous occasions: once in 2001 for eleven days to perform engine maintenance, and again in 2002 for 52 days in order to address engine problems.
Flight 4226 has the highest death toll of any aviation accident involving a BAC One-Eleven.