Bellview Airlines Flight 210
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 22, 2005 |
| Type | Under investigation (Possible lightning strike) |
| Site | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Passengers | 111 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 117 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-200 |
| Operator | Bellview Airlines |
| Tail number | 5N-BFN |
On October 22, 2005, Bellview Airlines Flight 210, a Boeing 737-200 aircraft, crashed shortly after taking off from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos en route to the Nigerian capital Abuja, killing all 117 people on board.
[edit] Casualties
Early reports from Oyo State government officials claimed that at least half of those on board survived the crash, but later reports indicated no survivors, blaming confusion at the crash scene for the initial mistake. The aircraft crashed in a village called Lisa in the Ifo local government area of Ogun State, southwest Nigeria. The flight had 111 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
[edit] Causes
Bellview suspended all flights from Lagos pending an investigation. The plane sent out a distress signal shortly after leaving the airport. Radio communication with the plane was then lost due to an intense electrical storm. Boeing officials have offered to assist in the investigation if invited to by the Nigerian government. Boeing officials have conjectured that a combination of poor maintenance of the plane by the ground crew together with a lightning strike to the right wing of the plane caused the right engine to ignite, causing the aircraft to bank heavily to the left and eventually lose control. However, the investigation is on-going.
