Mechanical Failure, Pilot Error Responsible For Dana 2012 Crash – AIB Report

In a report published on Monday, the investigators said the crash was caused by ‘mechanical failure and pilot error.

According to the report, two engines on the Boeing MD-83 aircraft, carrying 153 passengers and crew from the Federal capital, Abuja, failed mid-air before it crashed on approach to Lagos airport.

“Engine number one lost power 17 minutes into the flight, and thereafter on final approach, engine number two lost power and failed to respond to throttle movement on demand for increased power to sustain the aircraft in its flight configuration,” the report stated.

The “inappropriate omission of the use of the checklist and the crew’s inability to appreciate the severity of the power-related problem, and their subsequent failure to land at the nearest suitable airfield” also contributed to the crash, it added.

Investigators said “lack of situation awareness, inappropriate decision-making and poor airmanship” were also to blame for the crash on June 3, 2012.

The Dana Air crash was one of the worst accidents in Nigerian aviation history.

The Federal Government suspended Dana’s operating licence on June 5, 2012, two days after the crash, but it was briefly allowed to resume operation in January 2013 after meeting some safety standards