Dana Air Flight 0992

Dana Air Flight 0992 was a scheduled Nigerian domestic passenger flight from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to Murtala Muhammed International Airport. On 3 June 2012, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft crashed following a dual-engine failure, killing all 153 people on board and six on the ground. It remains the deadliest commercial airliner crash in Nigeria since the 1973 Kano air disaster.

Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB; now called Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau) concluded that both of the aircraft's engines had lost power during its approach to Lagos. Incorrect assembly had severed the engines' fuel line, causing fuel to not be delivered to both engines. During the initial sequence of the engine failure, the pilots opted not to declare an emergency until the second engine lost power during the flight's final approach. Lack of situational awareness and poor decision-making by the pilots eventually caused the aircraft to crash into buildings.

The crash was the fifth major Nigerian aviation disaster in a decade, after EAS Airlines Flight 4226 in 2002, Bellview Airlines Flight 210 and Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 in 2005, and ADC Airlines Flight 053 in 2006. Consequently, it led to a major overhaul of the nation's aviation sector. Since the crash of Flight 0992, Nigeria's aviation safety improved significantly and the country eventually retained the category 1 status of its aviation safety.

Accident

Flight 0992 was a flight from the Nigerian capital of Abuja to the country's largest city of Lagos, operated with a McDonnell Douglas MD-83. It departed Abuja at 14:58 local time with 147 passengers and 6 crew members, and 26000 lbs of fuel. The wind was calm and the weather conditions were good. The flight was piloted by Captain Peter Waxton and First Officer Mahendra Singh Rathore, with Rathore as the pilot flying. The aircraft was on the returning leg of the second flight from Abuja.

Crash

The aircraft lost its thrust power and descended closer to the ground. The crew then applied stabilizer trim several times as they tried to avoid obstacles and buildings ahead of them, but they failed to arrest the descent. The aircraft lost altitude rapidly and the altitude warning sounded until the end of the recording.

The MD-83 crashed in the densely-populated Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood near the airport. It first impacted a two-storey Power Holding Company of Nigeria building with its right wing and later struck multiple trees and three other buildings. The aircraft then exploded and burst into flames. Fire then spread throughout the neighbourhood. One of the impacted buildings was an uncompleted building that had been storing flammable liquids in preparation for its intended use as a press building, increasing the fire. Many residents initially mistook the explosion that had been caused by the crash as an attack by Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram.

The crash scene became chaotic, with Nigeria's The Sun reporting that thousands of Lagos residents attempted to approach the site. Crowds attempted to bring water hoses to the site while soldiers attempted to disperse onlookers with punches and rubber whips. The onlookers then threw stones at the soldiers in retaliation. Water for firefighting was scarce for several hours due to the city's shortage of fire trucks, and civilians attempted to fight the fire by hand with water from plastic buckets. Water trucks commandeered from nearby construction projects had difficulties reaching the site due to the narrow roads.

Due to these challenges, the dousing of the flames by the authorities was delayed, and consequently the fire completely destroyed every structure of the aircraft, bar the tail. No survivors were found at the crash site, with all 153 passengers and crew members perishing. At least 6 people on the ground were also killed by the crash. Forensic analysis eventually revealed that 27 people on board the aircraft, all of whom were seated at the back, had initially survived the crash. Some residents reported that the survivors had tried to escape from the burning wreckage, with locals attempting to open the emergency exit to rescue them; however, they succumbed to the smoke and the ensuing explosions.