More facts emerged on Friday on how the Associated Aviation
Limited Embraer 120 aircraft carrying 20 passengers and the remains of
late former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu crashed near the
Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, last Thursday.
Investigations by the Accident Investigation Bureau said human error might have caused the crash.
But the bureau said it has not concluded investigations on the crash.
AIB in its preliminary report of the accident to journalists in Abuja
said that investigations revealed that the aircraft was already faulty
before the cockpit crew decided to embark on the journey.
But the captain in command, Capt. Abdulraham Yakubu, insisted that
the crew must continue with the journey even when the co-pilot suggested
that the flight should be aborted.
The aircraft crashed exactly 31 seconds after takeoff from the runway.
The Commissioner in charge of AIB, Capt. Muktar Usman, in his
briefing, disclosed that before the crew embarked on the flight, they
received an automated warning from the onboard computer voice, which
consisted of three chimes followed by “Take-off Flaps…Take-off Flaps,”
which were repeated severally.
Usman said the warning suggested that the flaps were not in the
correct position for take-off and there is some evidence that the crew
may have chosen not to use flaps for the take-off.
He, however, said the warning did not come as a surprise to the crew who chose to take-off.
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