1994 Oriental Airlines BAC One-Eleven crash
5N-IMO, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in April 1994 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 18 September 1994 |
| Summary | Crash on landing due to fuel exhaustion |
| Site | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | BAC One-Eleven |
| Operator | Oriental Airlines |
| Registration | 5N-IMO |
| Flight origin | Tunis, Tunisia |
| Stopover | Tamanrasset, Algeria |
| Destination | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Occupants | 39 |
| Passengers | 32 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Survivors | 34 |
On 18 September 1994, an Oriental Airlines BAC One-Eleven (registration 5N-IMO) crashed during an attempted landing at Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport in Tamanrasset, Algeria. The crash resulted in five fatalities—two passengers and three crew members. The charter flight, traveling from Tunis, Tunisia, to Lagos, Nigeria, was arranged to return the Nigerian football team Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland FC) following an away match against Espérance.[1][2][3][4]
Background
Aircraft and operator
The aircraft involved in the crash was a BAC 1-11-515FB, a twin-engined, narrow-body, medium-haul jet built in 1970 with serial number 229. Manufactured in the United Kingdom, it was powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey 512-14DW engines.
The aircraft began operations with Oriental Airways under the registration 5N-IMO on 17 March 1994. The airline was owned by Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, then-owner of Iwuanyanwu Nationale.[3]
Football context
Iwuanyanwu Nationale qualified for the 1994 African Cup of Champions Clubs after winning the 1993 Nigerian Premier League. The team advanced through the first two rounds, defeating Nigerien side Zumunta AC and Cameroonian team RC Bafoussam. They faced Tunisian champions Espérance in the quarterfinals but lost 3–0 in the first leg in Tunis.[5]
Flight and crash
At the time of the accident, Tamanrasset, Algeria, was experiencing poor visibility due to early morning dust haze. The return flight to Nigeria had already been delayed by over three hours owing to disputes over fuel costs. Limited fuel and adverse weather conditions forced the pilots to divert to Tamanrasset. Three landing attempts were aborted as the captain was unable to establish visual contact with the runway. [6][7]
During the fourth landing attempt, 83 minutes after the initial approach, the aircraft was not aligned with either runway and landed in an unstable configuration. Upon touchdown, it began to break apart, colliding with a light pole and a building before coming to rest off the runway. Survivor Anthony Nwaigwe recounted that the aircraft broke into three sections, enabling some passengers to escape. The crash resulted in the deaths of two passengers and three crew members, while many of the 34 other occupants sustained injuries.[8]
Victims
Crew
Footballers
Notable survivors
See also
References
- ^ Liadi, Tunde (30 October 2020). "Untold story of Iwuanyanwu Nationale 1994 Plane Crash". The Nation. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ Nwankpa Jr, Clement (25 May 2020). "As Dare moves to ensure labour of our heroes aren't in vain…". Blueprint. Abuja, Nigeria. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Heartland FC Mark 25th Anniversary of Air Crash in Algeria". This Day. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ a b Okeleji, Oluwashina (19 September 2019). "Heartland mark 25 years since Algeria disaster". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ Samuel, Babatunde (18 September 2019). "Heartland remember late heroes from 1994 Oriental Airlines crash". Goal.com. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Soccer Team Down in Algerian Crash". Newsday. 19 September 1994. p. 21. Retrieved 23 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Obasi, Omeka (30 July 2021). "SPORTSFLAKES: BANJI OLA ESCAPED DEATH IN LIBERIA, ALGERIA". The Next Edition. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ Aiyejina, Tana (17 August 2019). "How I survived '94 Iwuanyanwu Nationale plane crash — Nwaigwe". Best Naira News. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Salman, Ganiyu (18 September 2014). "'Our plane hovered for 2 hours before it crashed' - Chukwu, Olarinoye, others relive Iwuanyanwu Nationale FC's plane crash experience 20 years after". Nigerian Tribune.
- ^ Osuji, Sab (20 September 2020). "'Iwuanyanwu Nationale 1994 Plane Clash And Ikeogu, Omale's Death Still Hurt' --Two-Time Nigeria Pro League Top Scorer, Nwaigwe". Complete Sports. Retrieved 22 December 2021.