Dana: Crew’s negligence caused plane crash - Witness

A witness in the on going inquest into the death of the 153 passengers on the Dana Air plane that crashed in Iju/Ishaga area of Lagos on June 3, Tito Omaghomi, a retired flight captain, on Thursday, told the coroner, Mr Alexander Komolafe, that negligence ofthe flight crew led to the tragedy.

At the resumed hearing of the inquest before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, Omaghomi, who had over 32 years experience as a pilot with the Nigerian Airways, said his opinion of the preliminary report of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) was that the pilot and his crew neglected to keep to necessary checklists to prevent fatalities.

Omaghomi, who was led by Femi Falana, said his view of the AIB’s report was that “it was a disorganised cockpit” and that “it became a flight that nobody had control of.”

The retired captain also said from his deductions, the pilot did not call for help when he should have done, adding that he called when the plane had already lost two engines.

He stated further that the pilot flew for more than 100 hours in a month, adding that from observations, the pilot of the ill-fated plane had put in 120 hours of flight within 13 days, which, according to him, was illegal.                                 

Tito said it was a bad development that between 1965 and 2003, only 17 air accidents occurred, adding that from 2003 till date, there had been about 21 air crashes.

Another witness, Daniel Akpokoje, an aviation operations manager with Total Nigeria Plc,   had earlier testified that the last time Dana Air bought fuel from the company was in November 2011.

According to him, before fuel was supplied to an aircraft, several checks were made to ensure that there were no sediments or water mixed with it.

The magistrate consequently adjourned the inquest till August 13.

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Dana Air Crash: Accident Investigation Bureau submit preliminary report

The Accident Investigation Bureau has submitted a preliminary report on the crash of Dana Air’s MD83 (5N-RAM) in Lagos on June 3, 2012. The report determines the main facts about flight 992. 

On 3rd June 2012 about 1545 hours[1], 5N-RAM, a Boeing MD-83, a domestic scheduled commercial flight, operated by Dana Airlines Limited as flight 992 (DAN 992), crashed into a densely populated area during a forced landing following a total loss of power in both engines while on approach to Muhammed Murtala Airport (LOS), Lagos, Nigeria. 

Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and the airplane was on an instrument flight plan. All of the 153 persons aboard the airplane, including the 6 crew members were fatally injured. There were 10 confirmed ground fatalities. The airplane was destroyed. There was post impact fire. The flight originated at Abuja (ABV) and the destination was LOS.

The airplane was on the fourth flight segment of the day, consisting of two round-trips between Lagos and Abuja. The accident occurred during the return leg of the second trip. DAN 992 was on final approach for runway 18R at LOS when the crew reported the total loss of power.

According to interviews, the flight arrived in ABV as Dana Air flight 993 about 1350. According to Dana Air ground personnel, routine turn-around activities occurred, including refueling of the airplane. DAN 992 initiated engine startup at 1436, taxied to the runway and was later airborne at 1458 after the flight had reported that it had a fuel endurance of 3.5 hours. Shortly after takeoff, DAN 992 reported 1545 as the estimated time of arrival at LOS as the flight climbed to a cruise altitude of 26,000 ft[2]. DAN0992 made contact with Lagos Area Control Center at 1518 hours.

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) retained about 31 minutes of the flight and starts about 1515 at which time the captain and first officer were in a discussion of a non-normal condition regarding the correlation between the engine throttle setting and an engine power indication[3]. However, they did not voice concerns then that the condition would affect the continuation of the flight. The flight crew continued to monitor the condition and became increasingly concerned as the flight transition through the initial descent from cruise altitude at 1522 and the subsequent approach phase.

DAN 992 reported passing through 18,100 and 7,700 ft, respectively, at 1530 and 1540 hours. After receiving a series of heading and altitude assignments from the controller, DAN 992 was issued the final heading to intercept the final approach course for runway 18R.

During the period of 1537 and 15:41 the flight crew engaged in pre-landing tasks including deployment of the slats, and extension of the flaps and landing gear. At 15:41:16 the first officer (FO) inquired, "both engines coming up?" and the captain (Capt) replied “negative.” The flight crew subsequently discussed and agreed to declare an emergency. At 1542:10, DANA 992 radioed an emergency distress call indicating "dual engine failure . . . negative response from throttle."

At 1542:35, the flight crew lowered the flaps further and continued with the approach and discussed landing alternatively on runway 18L. At 1542:45, the Capt reported the runway in sight and instructed the FO to raise the flaps up and 4 seconds later to raise the landing gear.

At 1543:27 hours, the Capt informed the FO "we just lost everything, we lost an engine. I lost both engines". During the next 25 seconds until the end of the CVR recording, the flight crew was attempting to restart the engines.

The airplane crashed in a residential area about 5.8 miles north of LOS. The airplane wreckage was on approximately the extended centerline of runway 18R. During the impact sequence, the airplane struck an incomplete building, two trees and three buildings. The wreckage was confined, with the separated tail section and engines located at the beginning of the debris field.

The airplane was mostly consumed by post crash fire. The tail section, both engines and portions of both wings, representing only about 15% of the airplane were recovered from the accident site for further examination.

The two flight recorders, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR) were analysed at the facilities of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Washington, D.C., USA. The solid state based memory in the CVR was in good condition and retained 31 minutes of audio information. The digital tape based memory in the FDR succumbed to the post crash fire and melted, consequently no data could be recovered.

The captain, age 55, held an airline transport pilot license with type ratings in the A-320[4], DC-9, FK-28[5], and SF-340[6]. He had over 18,116 hours of total time, including 16,416 hours of pilot-in-command time (PIC). The captain had 7,461 hours in the accident model airplane all of which was as PIC. He was employed with Dana Air on 14 March 2012. He began flying line operations for the company in late May 2012 and had since accrued over 120 hours of flight time. The captain had acquired about 3, 78, and 116 flight hours, respectively, in the preceding 24 hours, 30 and 90 days.

The first officer, age 34, held a commercial pilot license he was type rated in MD-83. He had 1,143 hours of total time, including about 200 hours as pilot-in-command. The first officer had 808 hours in the accident model airplane all of which was second-in-command. He had been previously employed with Dana Air as the Director of Cabin Service before he was hired as a pilot about January 2011. The first officer had accrued about 3, 42, and 154 flight hours, respectively, during the preceding 24 hours, 30 and 90 days.

The airplane was manufactured in 1990 and according to maintenance records it had accumulated 60,846 hours (35,219 cycles) of total time. The left and right engines respectively had 54,322 (30,933 cycles) and 26,025 (12,466 cycles) hours of total time since new. A review of the aircraft technical logs did not reveal of the previous 30 days did not indicate a condition. The airplane had last undergone maintenance on 1st June 2012, and after a return to service flight on 2nd June 2012, it was operated on four revenue flights (two round trips between LOS and ABV) and another four flights on 3rd June 2012.

Fueling records indicated the airplane was uplifted with 8000 lbs of fuel before departure from ABV. The flight crew reported to ATC they had 26,000 lbs of total fuel. Preliminary analysis of fuel samples from the refueling truck and the supply tank at ABV were negative for contamination.

The investigative activities have included, in part, visual examination of the aircraft wreckage, review of maintenance records and other historical information of the aircraft, documentation of the training and experience of the flight crew, determination the chronology of the flight, review of recorded data, reconstructing the aircraft refueling, and collection of related fuel samples, and interviews of relevant personnel.

Future investigative activities will include, but is not limited to, the detailed examination of the engines, further testing of fuel samples, continued factual gathering of relevant historical, operational, maintenance and performance information of the accident airplane in addition to other similar airplane models, further development of the background of the flightcrew, further analysis of the CVR audio recording and review of pertinent issues associated with regulatory oversight.

As the State of Occurrence, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has instituted an investigation in accordance with the standards and recommendations specified in the provisions of Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization. As the State of manufacture of the airplane and engine, a US Accredited Representative has been appointed and assisted by US technical advisors from the NTSB, US Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing Airplane Company, and Pratt & Whitney Engines.

In accordance with Annex 13, "the sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident shall be the prevention of accidents and incidents. It is not for the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability." 

Accordingly, the AIB with the participation of the parties, including the NCAA, will seek to identify any areas of safety concerns during the investigation and implement the appropriate actions for correction or improvement. 

The content of this report is based on preliminary information. The Bureau will continue to conduct the investigation in a meticulous and methodical manner and release facts as they become validated.

SIGNED

CAPT M.S.USMAN,

COMMISSIONER/CEO, AIB

[1] All times are based on local time based on the 24-hour clock

[2] All altitudes are based on mean sea level.

[3] Flight crew made reference to the engine pressure ratio gage.

[4] Airbus A-320

[5] Fokker F-28

[6] Saab SF-340, a twin-engine turboprop airlaine

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DANA Crash Tragedy: 2 Families Fight Over One Corpse

But for the timely intervention of security men at the Lekan Ogunsola Memorial Morgue of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, two families would have exchange blows on Monday as both relations lay claim to one corpse. 

 The dispute over the body began when the family members of the late Mr. Jones Ifekanwa, who died in the Dana plane crash, were told that another family, who reportedly refused to disclose their name, had also lay claim to the same body as their own. 

 The Chief Medical Examiner, Prof. John Obafunwa, invited the Ifekanwa family to identify their late brother’s corpse but found it difficult to effectively re-identify the body as they did last week. Another family, after going in to identify their relation’s corpse, also picked the same body as the lfekanwa family had picked.

 Consequently, Prof. Obafunwa denied both families access to the body until the DNA testing results would be out in the next four weeks. According to the elder sister to the late Ifekanwa, Mrs. Jennifer Enanana, the mix-up could be traced to the decomposing state of the body.

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REVEALED! DANA Pilot’s Last Conversation Before Crash

"1181 Good day!" These were the last two words the courageous pilot told air traffic controllers before the Dana Air flight 0992 crashed into a residential building in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, killing all the 153 people on board and 10 people on ground on Sunday, June 3, 2012. The transcription of the last conversation between the air traffic controller and the crew revealed that the pilots did everything to land the aircraft safely on Runway 18 Right of the Murtala Muhammed Airport. 

 The recording, a copy of which was obtained exclusively from a top official of the Ministry of Aviation on Monday by our correspondent, showed that the flight crew did not lose hope even up till the last second before the aircraft crashed. The crew had believed the aircraft would make it to Runway 18R of the Lagos airport. 

 The transcription revealed that the aircraft had indeed lost its two engines, shortly after which the pilot declared an emergency. The transcription revealed that the pilot told the controller he had “dual engine failure.” Apart from having dual engine failure, the pilot also told the air traffic controller that he had “negative response from the throttle.” Overall, the transcription revealed that the airplane was in a very devastating condition.

 This explains why it was said to have descended very fast shortly after the pilot declared emergency, saying, “May Day, May Day” This revelation is, however, makes rubbish of the claims of Dana Air’s Director of Flight Operations, Captain Oscar Wason, who had said it would be premature to conclude that aircraft lost its two engines. Wason claimed that there was nothing to indicate that the pilot told the air traffic controller that the two engines of the aircraft had been lost.

 Air traffic controllers, who spoke to our correspondent under condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to comment on the matter, confirmed that the aircraft descended very fast. The video recording of the radar also revealed that the aircraft pilot declared emergency at about 5,000 feet above the sea level.

 It further revealed that the ill-fated Boeing McDonell Douglass-83 plane disappeared from the radar at about 800 feet above the sea level. The recording, however, confirmed Wason’s claim that the pilot of the ill-fated plane never spoke with air traffic controllers in the Control Tower. Rather, the pilot spoke with ATCs in the radar control room of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, which is also located at the airport. 

 The recording also revealed that the pilot was handed over to the ATCs in the Control Tower, but he never had a chance to speak with them before the crash. From the recording, the last words the pilot told the radar control unit was, “1181, good day,” in response to some information he had received from the ATC on duty. The ATC had told him to contact the Control Tower on frequency 1181. 

The pilot, who had declared emergency to the ATCs in the radar control room, replied, “1181 good day,” meaning he had got the information. According to ATCs, “good day” is the usual parlance they and pilots use in signing off from a conversation. From his accent, it was obvious he was the Indian co-pilot, Mr. Mahendra Roathore, who spoke with the ATCs during the last minutes of the tragic flight. 

 The pilot, an American, Captain Peter Waxtan, was said to have been busy, struggling to keep the aircraft in flight, while the co-pilot spoke with the ATCs. Below is the word-for-word account of the conversation between the crew of the ill-fated plane and the ATC on duty. 

 Co-pilot: “Lagos Tower, Dana code 0992!” ATC: “Dana Code 0992, this is Lagos radar, go ahead!” Co-pilot: “May Day! May Day! May Day! Dana code 0992 Five November Romeo Alpha Mike! (5N-RAM) dual engine failure!” ATC: “Dana Code 0992, read me?” Co-pilot:

 “I read you five by five! Dual engine failure! Negative response from throttle! Requesting for direct straight approach!” ATC: “Alright, position it one mile to touch down, Runway 18R! Contact tower now on 1181!” Co-pilot: “1181 Good day!” Unfortunately, the crew never spoke with the control tower. The aircraft crashed into the residential building a few seconds after this discussion. Source: The Punch May the souls of all those who died rest in peace. Amen!

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Dana admits ill-fated plane had engine failure

Officials of Dana Airline, owners of the ill-fated plane yesterday confirmed that it had engine failure based on the pilot’s distress calls to the control tower at about 2:42 pm. The airline also disclosed that there was likelihood that relations of the dead passengers may start claiming their corpses today. 

The director flight operations, Captain Oscar E. Watson, told journalists during a press briefing in Lagos yesterday that the pilot reported engine failure but it was not certain whether it was a double engine failure until the flight recordings in the Black Box were accessed.

 “There is no confirmation that we had twin engine failure but the pilot reported engine failure. It’s not certain that both engine failed. It is just speculation. But based on the standard of training pilots, the pilot can say I have engine one or engine two failure. 

Probably the pilot said engine two had failed, or call May Day. Thus, until we listen to the recordings, we cannot say exactly. We should be careful with wrong information spewing across the country,” he said.

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DANA PLANE CRASH: Who ‘ll wear her wedding gown now?

THE Somolu family in Lekki area of Lagos and the authorities of a private school in Mafoluku, Laureates College and Kiddies’ Kingdom Private School, are in deep mourning and inconsolable. Last Sunday’s Dana Airplane crash in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, which claimed over 150 lives dealt them a devastating blow. Ms Oluwakemi Ayoola Somolu, their only daughter and one of the most successful members of the family, died in that crash with nine of her friends who were returning from Abuja after attending the wedding of one of their friends.

 She died exactly three months to her own wedding. Ayoola Somolu: Already bought wedding gown Before the tragedy, all was set for her wed lock billed for the first Saturday of September, 2012; the wedding gown had been imported alongside the costume, expenses for the bridal train had been taken care off, the hall and the catering have been paid for and plans were in top gear for the honey moon. Being the last born in the family of three, the bride’s family, the Somolus, who reside in Lekki was looking forward to this day of joy and was planning it in a big way before the tragedy struck and Ms Oluwakemi Somolu, an alumni of Queens College, met her untimely death. 

 Though she resided overseas, Ayoola had arrived Nigeria penultimate Friday for a friend’s wedding which took place in Abuja on Saturday June 2 and was in the company of her nine other friends on that day when the unexpected happened. The 10 friends left Abuja on that fateful day and were in the Dana aircraft. Unfortunately, they all lost their lives in the air mishap. Vanguard gathered that her 80-year old mother and proprietress of Laureates College and Kiddies’ Kingdom Private School, had wished her daughter had stayed at home on that weekend but Ayoola pleaded with her and promised to come back the following day not knowing that that would be the last meeting with her aged mother.

 The aged mother told her relations that ‘my daughter arrived from overseas to attend her friend’s wedding but she is no longer alive to witness her day of joy. The Somolus have been planning the deceased’s wedding in an exclusive way but see how the whole thing has gone, it is a big blow to the family. Who will wear her wedding gown now?” she cried A close friend to the family, Mrs Bridget Anayo, said Ayoola was the favourite child of her aged mother and was to take over the running of the school as both parents are advanced in age but this was never to be. 

 When Vanguard visited the school at 3/5 Olayinka Adenubi Street, Aviation Estate, Mafoluku last Thursday, all the teachers had just arrived from a trip to Lekki where they paid a condolence visit to their aged proprietor and all of them were in pensive mood. Some staff of the school and parents of students told Vanguard that the deceased had left a big vacuum that would be difficult to fill. “The heroine of the Somolus has fallen, who are we to question the creator of Heaven and Earth? May God grant her eternal rest in His bosom,” said Mr. Okolie Ramond. The Head teacher of the 26-year old school, Mrs Iwuchukwu F.E, said Ayoola’s demise was a big blow to the Somolus.

 “Everbody who came in contact with her usually had a story to tell. She transformed many lives and was working hard to make many people great. We have lost a benefactor, a motivator and a bread winner to many. She died at a time many needed her most, who can question God? He knows why He did this and nobody can question His authority,” she said. I fainted when I learnt of Levi’s death — Brother Like the Somolus, the mood at the residence of Chief Emmanuel Ajuonuma, the eldest son of the Ajuonuma family, who was still in a state of shock over the death of his younger brother, Dr Levi Ajuonuma, was sorrowful.

 Chief Ajuonuma who laboured to grant an interview to Vanguard Newspapers, was still confused about the whole incident and has continued to ponder why it had to be his ever lively Levi, whom he described as the love of the family, being the last child of their parents, and was until his untimely death, the heartthrob of the Ajuonumas. He is yet to come to terms with the demise of his brother and has continued to question why Levi had to be on that ill-fated flight. “God knows everything, it has happened and that is it.

 He knows why He allowed the crash to occur and there is nothing anyone can do to bring the dead back” he sorrowfully stated.” Continuing he said: “When I first heard the news of the Dana plane crash I wept bitterly for Nigeria not knowing that my own brother was among the victims. It was indeed a terrible occurrence and when finally I was told that Levi had died in that plane, it was so shocking that I fainted”.

 He added that “Levi was full of life, we were neither expecting him to die soon nor was he, someone who had no need for Paracetamol and all of a sudden, we heard he was dead, it is really heart breaking.” He disclosed that the family had been asked to visit the morgue for his corpse today, hopefully, burial arrangements according to him, would be announced later. Some of his relatives, who are still shocked about the loss of their beloved brother have resigned to fate as they preached that the daunting challenges facing the nation were signs of the end. They called on Nigerians to establish a personal relationship with God to be able to go through the difficult times. 

 The mood is same in Owerri where people have continued to visit some of Levi’s relatives to sympathize with them. Speaking from Owerri, Imo State, a relative who sounded dazed by the untimely demise of her brother in-law lamented that death had dealt the worst blow on her. Also, a close colleague of the deceased NNPC spokesman said that Dr Levi’s demise was a monumental loss to both the organization and his family.

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Meet USA Based Family Of 9 That Perished In Dana Air Crash

A family of nine was among the 153 passengers and crew members that p*rished in the ill-fated Abuja-Lagos Dana flight on Sunday. 

The family, the Anyene, made up of the husband, wife, four children, wife's mother and two other family members described as the wife's cousins were mainly based in Connecticut, United States of America. 

Four of the Anyenes on the manifest were Onyeka Anyene, Noah Anyene, Kamsi Anyene and Kayinentochi Anyene. Two of the children, who are girls, are said to be twins. 

It was learnt that the husband is based in Nigeria but visits the family frequently in the United States of America. His wife, Maimuna, their four children, Maimuna's mother and the two cousins, who are reported to be helping out with taking care of the children, are all in Connecticut.

 Report had it that they went to the North to attend the wedding ceremony of Maimuna's brother. Sources said they flew in from the US on Thursday for the wedding and were due to return to their base on either Monday or Tuesday.

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PLANE CRASH LATEST: More trouble for DANA

The Federal Government, yesterday, grounded Dana Airline following last Sunday’s crash of its Lagos-bound aircraft at Iju-Ishaga area killing all the 154 passengers and crew on board as well as 16 others on ground when it landed on a two-storey building.

Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Aviation, Mr Joe Obi who confirmed the withdrawal of the airline’s operational licence said it was “suspended for safety operational reasons”. This is to allow authorities carry out a thorough investigation into its operations as well as the circumstances that led to Sunday’s plane crash.

Senate asks Demuren to step aside

The Senate had earlier advised the Federal Government to ground Dana Airlines just as it directed the Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Mr. Harold Demuren to step down to allow for full scale investigation of airline operators in Nigeria.

The upper chamber in a sombre mood, yesterday, also demanded the release of previous investigative reports of air crashes in Nigeria from the Federal Government to prevent further air mishaps.

Adopting a motion entitled: ‘The Crash of Dana and Allied Airlines Aircraft’, sponsored by Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma and 29 others, the Senate stressed that Aviation regulatory agencies must be blamed for the ill-fated Dana crash which threw the nation into mourning and wailing on Sunday.

Senator Uzodinma while moving the motion said: “The latest crash is a clear indication of failure and or negligence of relevant regulatory functions in the aviation industry which if unchecked could lead to more devastating air mishaps in the future.

Uzodinma who also addressed journalists on the crash after the plenary said the Senate will ensure that those behind the mishap were brought to book and adequately punished, adding, “if this matter is as a result of negligence on the part of any of the parties, we will ensure that the people are adequately punished.”

In their various contributions to the motion, the lawmakers concluded that regulatory agencies responsible for failing to do their work.

In his contribution, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who warned that regulatory agencies must wake up to their responsibilities, said: “I can see young people, children whose dreams and aspirations were dashed. Those whose contributions would have helped in national development were cut short. This is a very trying moment for us and it is very pathetic. We must draw lessons from this and confront the situation to ensure it does not happen again, my worry is that when this thing happens, information start coming of warnings about this.”

Disaster avoidable— Makarfi

Senator Ahmed Makarfi who noted that the disaster was avoidable if only the management of the airline and regulatory agencies were alive to their responsibilities, said:  “It was an avoidable disaster in my view and the view of almost all Nigerians. The warning signals were there to indicate how delicate the aircraft was but somebody must have certified it airworthy. It is condemnable to lose these lives. It is sad and must stop in this country.”

The Senate President David Mark who presided, joined Nigerians in mourning the crash, while asking that Dana should stop operating immediately, just as he stressed that grounding Dana would show the seriousness of government in tackling air mishaps, adding, “we want this report on time and those in charge of these operations must step aside honourably. He said the need to ground Dana Airline should be communicated to the executive before tomorrow as a test of whether the executive will implement further reports.”

Lagos State govt insists on autopsy

Meanwhile, the Management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH has released a list of 29 victims that have been identified by their relatives even as relations of victims who thronged Hospital mortuary for possible collection of the bodies may not claim their corpses until autopsy is carried out on them according to Lagos State coroner law.

Identified bodies at LASUTH

Some of the identified bodies at LASUTH as released by the hospital management include Martin Alade (M), Sonny Ehioghae (M), Temitope Ariyibi (F), Okocha Christopher (M), Stanford Obstrute (M), Ikpoki Obiola (M), Patrick Eze Okonji (M), Bassey Eyo (M), Kanguyi (Chinese (M)), Charles Ntoko (M), Dr Abiodun Jonathan (M), Ifeanwaka Jones (M) Obot Emmanuel (M), Prof C.O. Onwuluri, Chinwe Uzoamaka Obi (F), Olabinjo Awodogbin (M), Anibaba Tosin (F), Obinna Akubueze (M) Nagidi Ibrahim (M), Mahmud Ahmed Dukawa (M), Ibrahim Jangana (M), George Moses (M), Femi Shobowale (M), Ailende Ehi Joel (M), John Ahmadu Hamza (D.I.G)(M), Kim Edger Norris (M), One female, two babies.

Vanguard gathered that 14 out of the 43 bodies at the hospital’s mortuary were yet to be identified by their relatives.

Unfortunately, though the relations of the victims who have identified their dead relations corpses are becoming impatient asking authorities of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, when they will eventually take the corpses of their dead, the answer has been that they should exercise patience.

As the clamour to take away identified corpses continued yesterday at LASUTH morgue, Chief Medical Director, LASUTH, Prof Wale Oke told impatient relations of the dead, “already we have started doing the autopsy today, and we are going to do at least 12 autopsies per day”.

As at 2 pm yesterday, Prof. John Obafunwa, consultant Pathologist and Forensic Medicine and Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, LASU, led seven other pathologists to commence authopsy on the corpses.

Oke explained,”every corpse leaving our mortuaries will leave with a death certificate. And we cannot issue death certificates without authopsy,” he said.

Calmed a bit by the CMD’S explanation that the corpses need to be taken away with death certificates, the waiting continued by victims’ relations.

For many of the relations of the victims, the waitng game to collect their relations corpses has turned into indignation.

Victims’ relations besiege LASUTH

Earlier in the day, those who have not identified the corpses of their loved ones were anxious to do that. Two family members of the deceased were allowed into the morgue at a time to identify the corpses of their family members.

A fair complexioned, middle-aged woman whose husband was a member of Dana plane cabin crew cried to whoever cared to listen, ”let me see my husband’s body first.” Amidst the barrage of consolation by sympathisers, she continued,”I have heard, I just want to see his body.” Another middle-aged man kept asking authorities of LASUTH, ”when can we have our relation’s body? Let’s just have it and take it away.”

Mr  Izu Okafor, brother of a victim who died while sleeping in his bedroom in one the buildings the plane crashed into, late Nwabuwa Okafor, lamented the delay in taking away his brother’s corpse. ”I came on Monday to see my brother’s corpse,but couldn’t, I was told today by 2pm, I am still waiting,”he said.

Intermittently, officials of LASUTH try to calm relations of the dead by explaining to them that despite the grievious and unfortunate incident that occurred, due process needed to be followed in handling matters arisng.

Answering a question on how long it will take to hand over identified corpses to family members, CMD LASUTH, told newsmen that ”in the next three days, all identified corpses must have been handed over to their families. Our team of pathologists have started work today. We are being careful not to hand over a corpse to the wrong family”

Meanwhile, the stench grew stronger yesterday from the LASUTH mortuary. Oke explained: “We have 43 dead bodies from the plane crash inside the mortuary plus the bodies that were there before. I don’t think this mortuary has been stretched like this before.”

Earlier, 29 bodies at LASUTH morgue were identified by family members, after which the family members were given forms to fill for identification process which also included taking passport photographs of family representatives and photocopies of their international passports.

Around 2pm, the remaining 14 corpses were brought to the back of the mortuary for identification. Relations, which included expatriates, milled around the corpses trying to identify them.

Face-masks given to people to use in the mortuary eased the pungent odour from the dead bodies.

A group of Chinese nationals who work with a popular construction company in Lagos seemed to be the most desparate among waiting relatives of the deceased because they lost six colleagues in the crash.

Source:Vanguardngr

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CBN loses nine staff in Dana crash

Nine members of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria were among those that were killed in the Dana Aircraft crash in Lagos on Sunday, sources at CBN said.They were going to attend a training and some of them went with family members, including young children, Todaysgist gathered.

 Officially, the bank is yet to make any statement. “We are not sure yet how many of our staff were in that plane but for now I can confirm that nine of our staff were involved,” a staff said.

Todaysgist can report that some staff of the central bank visited family members of those that died in the air mishap, yesterday.

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FG withdraws Dana Air operating license

The Federal Government Tuesday  withdrew the operating  license of Dana Air due to operational reasons.Sam Adurogboye, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority spokesman, said “We have suspended their operational licence in the aftermath of the crash.

 “We have to look at their entire practice. … They won’t fly again until their re-certification is carried out,”

Also confirming the suspension of  Dana Air’s operating licence, special Adviser to the Aviation Minister on Media, Mr. Joe Obi said the airline was  “suspended for safety operational reasons”

Meanwhile indications emerged that the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Dr Olusegun Harold Demuren has been asked to step aside by the senate.

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We were forced to fly the faulty plane

An official of Dana Airlines who called into Channels Television anonymously confirmed to the station that the ill-fated Dana plane had persistent history of faults with its hydraulics in recent times and it was not supposed to have flown. 

She said the plane was faulty after it left Lagos and stopped in Calabar. She alleged that the Indian owners of the airline threw caution to the wind and insisted that the plane must fly in a bid to maximise profit, thereby sending the plane over to Abuja to pick passengers, when it should have being returned to Lagos for further repair. Listen to her above...

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Full Names Of People That Died On The Dana Air Plane Crash In Lagos

A state official says a passenger plane has crashed into a two-story building in Nigeria's largest city of Lagos.

Femi Oke-Osanyinpolu, Lagos state emergency state manager, said Sunday that casualty numbers are unknown.

Harold Denuren, head of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed the crash.

He said the Dana Air flight was heading from Abuja to Lagos in Nigeria. He said federal authorities were on their way to the site of the crash.


The Director General of the National Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, has confirmed that none of the about 160 passengers and crew on board the crashed Dana Airline survived. Naijapals also gathered that there were other casualties from the houses that were affected by the crash.

Up date-Manifest of Dana Air------------------------
146 passengers,
Onyeka Anyene
Hurria Lawal
Maimuna Anyene
Bakisumiadi Yindadi
Ebuka Enuma
Oluchi Onyeyiri
Sunday Enuma
George Moses
Ogechi Njoku
Noah Anyene
Kamsiyona Anyene
Stanford Obrutse
Kaiyenotochi Anyene
Okeke Hope
Rev. Ayodeji Cole
Ngozi Cole
Noah Anyene
Ailende Ehi
Oluwasegun Funmi Abiodun
and Shehu Sahad Usman.
Others were Alade Martins
Onita Jennifer (Mrs)
Onita Josephine
Ike Ochonogo
Joy Alison
John Ahmadu
Akowe Fatokun Anjola
Fatokun Olaoluwa
Fatokun Ibukun
Buhari Maikudi
Amina Idris Bugaje
Ajani Adenle
IkeAbugu
Adijolola Abraham
Obot Emmanuel
Otegbeye Hadiza
Ehioghae Sunny
Onwuriri Celestine
Abikalio Otatoru
Noris Kim
Eyo Bassey
Njoku Charles
Anibaba Tosin
Okocha Christopher
Sobowale Femi
and Phillip Chukwu Ebuka.
Others were Sparagano Lawrence
Somolu Oluwakemi
Ariyibi Temitope
Meche Eke
Ojugbana Amaka
Ojugbana Christopher
Buna Walter
Coker Olumide
Lilian Lass
Mutittir Itsifanus
Yusuf Alli
Lt. Col. Jumbo Ochigbo
Eribake Wale
Zhai Shuta

Also on the list were Wang Yu
P. Awani
O. Awani
N. Chidiac
Rijoel Dhose
Li Hizha
Apochi Godwin
Lang Yi
Yinusa Ahmed
Faysal Inusa
Mojekwu Adaobi
Ibrahim D
Bamaiyi Adamu
Ifekowa Jones
Peter Nosike
Anthony Nwaokocha
Mahmud Aliyu
Nnadi John
Akweze Elizabeth
Dorothy Adedunni
Echeidu Ibe
Maria Okulehi
Jennifer Ibe
Okoko junjip
Sarah Mshelia
Ahmed Mbana
Okonji Patrick
Oyosoro Rajuli
Oyosoro Ugbabio
Kaikai Farida
David Kolawole Fortune
Eyinoluwa David Kolawole
Kaltum Abubakar
and Dakawa Mahmud. Patience Sunday Udoh
Asuquo Iniebong
Onemonelese Aimeihi
Onyeagocha Chidinma
Onyeagocha Ogechi
Ike Okoye
Amaka Raphael
Ijeoma Onyinjuke
Garba Abdul
Aisha Abdul
Benson Oluwayomi
Anthony7 Opara
Taiwo Lamidi
Awodogan Olusanmi
Obi Chinwe
Shaibu Memuna
Major I.G Mohammed
Nagidi Ibrahim
Attah Anthonia
Shaibu Sam
Ifeanyi Orakwe
Obinna Akubueze
Li Rui
Xie Zhenfeng
Oko Eseoghene
Chukwuemeka Okere
Adetunbi Adebiyi
Ibrahim Mantakari
Was Ruth
Wasa Awiyetu
Ojukwu Alvana
Lawal Anakobe
Nabil Garba
Mohammed Falmata
Ibrahim Jangana
Okikiolu Olukayode
Komolafe Olugbenga
Dike Chinwe
Dike Chike Ezugo
Olusola Arokoyo
Adetola Ayoola
Akinola Olumodeji
Olukoya Banji Saka Otaru
Adeleke Oluwadamilare
Yusuf Ibrahim
Ikpohi Obiola
Aikhomu Ehimen
Levi Ajuonuma
Mbong Eventus.

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