Third Major Civil Aviation Disaster In One Year

In its third major civil aviation disaster in a year, Nigeria is mourning the loss of at least two senators, a state deputy governor, and the top Muslim leader of the country. The ADC Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashed on take-off from the capital city of Abuja during a rainstorm, killing at least 97 passengers and crew. Seven passengers are believed to have survived, according to the latest CNN report.

The spiritual leader of Nigeria's 70 million Muslims (about half the population), the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Mohammadu Maccido, was among those killed in the crash, according to a senior source with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo's office. He was believed to have a major influence on the fielding of Muslim political candidates in Nigeria's upcoming elections.

The plane was scheduled to arrive in the northern state of Sokoto after about an hour's flight.

This most recent crash will certainly make it more difficult for Nigeria to get permission to land its aircraft in Europe and the US. Nigeria's notoriously poor safety record is due to be reviewed by the International Civil Aviation Council next month.

The country has been plagued by numerous aviation accidents that the head of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency called “systemic failures” in both infrastructure and aviation safety procedures. It is widely believed that the country will not reach the standards demanded by the aviation auditors and be denied landing rights in Europe and the US.

This latest crash comes a month after ten senior army generals and three others were killed in a military transport accident. Last year, 117 people died in October when a Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff from Lagos. In December, 106 people, half of them children, crashed on landing on a Sosoliso Airlines DC9 in Port Harcourt. Both accidents are at least partly blamed on lax safety standards.

FMI: www.adcairlines.com/default.asp