737 Carrying 116 Goes Down After Takeoff

UPDATE 10.23.2005 1200GMT: It now appears as many as 50 people may have survived when Bellview Airlines Flight 210 went down Saturday night, out of 116 passengers onboard the Boeing 737-200. The airliner lost contact with controllers shortly after takeoff, and went down in Kishi, Oyo state -- about 120 miles north of its takeoff point of Lagos.

"There are many survivors. 50 or thereabouts. About half," the Oyo state government spokesman told Reuters.

It has been confirmed a heavy electrical storm was occurring when the airliner took off, although it is not yet known if weather played a factor in the accident. However, the pilot was able to make a distress call minutes after takeoff, indicating the aircraft had a technical problem, according to a source at the Nigerian presidential office.

Eleven hours after the accident occurred, Bellview Airlines still could not confirm the airliner had gone down, according to media reports -- causing frustration and anger among those awaiting word on the fate of family members and friends onboard the jet. Identities of those on the flight have yet to be released.

A Bellview Airlines B737-200 (file photo of type, bottom) enroute to the Nigerian capital of Abuja went down shortly after takeoff from Lagos Saturday night. Poor weather conditions were reported at the time the airliner took off for the planned 50-minute flight.

"It took off at 8:45 and lost contact," said Jide Ibinola, a spokesman for the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to Reuters.

There was no information available as to survivors, or of the identities of the 110 passengers and six crew believed to be onboard Bellview Airlines Flight 210. However, at least one high-level Nigerian official was believed to be onboard, according to CNN.

Two rescue helicopters dispatched to locate the accident site in the dark were unsuccessful, forcing crews to wait until morning to attempt to find where the airplane went down. Flights departing Lagos usually fly over the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic, before banking back to head to Abuja, according to media reports.

Bellview, a privately-owned Nigerian airline that is popular with expatriates living in the West African nation, is believed to have had an exemplary safety record prior to this accident.

FMI: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellview_Airlines