US embassy cable - 04LAGOS2595

UNCLAS LAGOS 002595 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DAKAR PASS TO FAA ED JONES 
DOT PASS SMCDERMOTT, CWHUNTER, KSAMPLE 
FAA PASS FRAWLS III 
BRUSSELS PASS TSA GMOORE 
HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER PLEASE PASS TO TSA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, PTER, NI 
SUBJECT: NEAR CRASH OF CHANCHANGI AIRLINER RESURFACES 
QUESTIONS ABOUT AIR SAFETY 
 
 
LANDING GEAR FAILS TO DEPLOY; PASSENGERS SAFE 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
1. (U) Forward landing gear failed to deploy on a 
Chanchangi Airlines (Nigeria) flight from Port Harcourt 
to Lagos yesterday.  According to report, the pilot of 
the Boeing 272 detected problems as as it prepared for 
landing at Murtala Mohammed International Airport 
(MMIA).  Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) 
foamed the runway to reduce friction when the nose of 
the plane skidded on the pavement, while the pilot 
dropped remaining jet fuel into the Atlantic Ocean and 
instructed the 70-75 passengers to prepare for a rough 
landing.  FAAN safety staff and firefighters were 
repositioned along the runway.  The plane landed 
roughly but safely.  No injuries were reported. 
 
LAGOS AIRPORT CLOSED FOR SEVEN HOURS; FLIGHTS DIVERTED 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
2. (U) The flight forced closure at MMIA between about 
five p.m. and midnight yesterday.  Most international 
flights were delayed and one flight to South Africa was 
cancelled.  Incoming flights were diverted to Abuja, 
other cities in Nigerian and Accra, Ghana.  The 
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded 
all Chanchangi flights for the time being.  A 
Chanchangi operations manager confirmed to us that FAAN 
inspectors, flight engineers, and safety control 
personnel are testing all Chanchangi aircraft today. 
The airline hopes to resume passenger flights tomorrow. 
and today is running test flights between Lagos and 
Kaduna with Chanchangi to check mechanical functions. 
FAAN contacts predict the airline will return to the 
skies by later this evening. 
 
KENYAN AIRLINER ALSO CATCHES FIRE 
---------------------------------- 
 
3. (U) This was the second of two incidents at MMIA on 
December 29.  Six hours earlier, firefighters were 
called to the runway to extinguish a fire in the 
landing gear of a Kenyan Airwayslines aircraft as it 
taxied to the terminal. fire emanating from its landing 
gear.  No injuries were reported. 
 
4. (U) This is the third relatively close call in 
Nigeria in recent months of which we are aware.  Four 
USG employees from AmConsulate Lagos were passengers 
aboard a Bellview Airlines flight October 31.  After 
aborting landing due to high winds, the plane narrowly 
cleared a building at the edge of the runway.  The 
plane then diverted to land on a different runway, in 
the dark with no runway lights. 
 
5. (SBU) Comment: These incidents highlight the uneven 
state of Nigeria's domestic airlines.  The domestic 
airline sector is very active, with numerous daily 
flights between the major cities of Lagos, Abuja, and 
Port Harcourt alone.  However, the civil aviation 
inspection system is weak, and compliance with 
international maintenance standards is probably low. 
Better regulation of domestic airlines is needed now 
more than ever, given the growth in domestic air 
travel. 
 
BROWNE