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1973 Kano Nigeria Airways Boeing 707 crash

Coordinates: 12°02′58″N 8°31′15″E / 12.04944°N 8.52083°E / 12.04944; 8.52083
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1973 Kano Nigeria Airways Boeing 707 crash
JY-ADO, the aircraft involved in the accident, at London Heathrow Airport in 1971
Accident
Date22 January 1973 (1973-01-22)
SummaryLanding gear collapse, bad weather
SiteKano International Airport (KAN), Nigeria
12°02′58″N 8°31′15″E / 12.04944°N 8.52083°E / 12.04944; 8.52083
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 707-3D3C
Aircraft namePetra
Operatoralia on behalf of Nigeria Airways
RegistrationJY-ADO
Flight originKing Abdulaziz Int'l Airport, Jeddah
DestinationIkeja Int'l Airport, Lagos (now Murtala Muhammed Int'l Airport)
Occupants202
Passengers193
Crew9
Fatalities176
Injuries25
Survivors26

On 22 January 1973, a Nigeria Airways Boeing 707 crashed at Kano International Airport while attempting to land in high winds. The crash killed 176 passengers and crew. There were 26 survivors. The crash remains the deadliest aviation disaster ever in Nigeria.[1]

Aircraft

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The aircraft involved in the accident was a 2 year old Boeing 707-3D3C, JY-ADO, owned by Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines, operating on behalf of Nigeria Airways. It first flew in 1971 and was powered by 4 Pratt and Whitney JT3D engines. Its manufacturer serial number (MSN) was 20494 and was the 850th Boeing 707 built.[1][2]

Flight

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A map showing the intended route and crash site
JED
JED
KAN
KAN
LOS
LOS
class=notpageimage|
A map showing the locations of the Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED - where the flight originated), Ikeja International Airport (LOS) and Kano International Airport (KAN - the site of the accident)
Overview of Kano International Airport, the site of the accident.

The Boeing 707, operated by Alia, had been chartered by Nigeria Airways to fly pilgrims back from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Lagos, Nigeria. Bad weather at Lagos caused the crew to divert to Kano. Kano International Airport was experiencing high winds at the time. The aircraft landed nose wheel first, and the nose wheel collapsed after hitting a depression in the runway.[3] The right main landing gear leg subsequently collapsed. The 707 turned 180 degrees, excursed from the runway and burst into flames.

Of the 202 passengers and crew on board, 176 died. At the time of its occurrence, the Kano air disaster was the deadliest civil aviation accident,[4] a distinction it only held for about 14 months when Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashed in France and killed 346 people, becoming the overall deadliest aviation disaster (after also surpassing the 1968 Kham Duc C-130 shootdown which claimed 189 lives).[5] The Kano aircraft crash was also the deadliest aviation disaster involving a Boeing 707 at the time until another Alia Royal Jordanian plane crashed in Morocco two years later.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b Accident description for JY-ADO at the Aviation Safety Network
  2. ^ "Crash of a Boeing 707-3D3C in Kano: 176 killed". www.baaa-acro.com. Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Accident details". www.planecrashinfo.com. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  4. ^ "World's Worst Plane Crash Kills 190 Pilgrims". Ludington Daily News. United Press International. 22 January 1973. Retrieved 29 August 2017 – via Google News.
  5. ^ Accident description for TC-JAV at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 31 July 2013.
  6. ^ Accident description for JY-AEE at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 15 May 2020.
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