Dana 2012 Tragic Aircrash — 11 Years Later
#OnThisDay in 2012, the tragic Dana aircrash event occurred.
In the annals of Nigerian aviation history, the tragic event that unfolded on this day in 2012 stands as one of the most significant disasters the country has ever witnessed. It was a fateful day when Dana Flight 0992 took to the skies, departing from the bustling Nigerian capital of Abuja en route to the vibrant city of Lagos. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft, carrying 147 passengers and 6 crew members, embarked on what should have been a routine journey. Little did they know that their path would be marred by a series of ill-fated decisions and mechanical failures, leading to a catastrophic outcome.
At the helm of Flight 0992 was Captain Peter Waxtan, a seasoned American aviator with a wealth of experience amounting to an impressive 18,116 hours of flight time. His leadership seemed assured, and the passengers aboard had no reason to question their safety. However, just seventeen minutes into the flight, an abnormality caught the attention of the vigilant crew. The left engine of the aircraft failed to produce the required thrust, despite the pilots’ efforts to adjust the throttle setting. Concerned, the First Officer suggested calling upon an engineer to assess the issue, but Captain Waxtan dismissed the notion, believing that he and First Officer Rathore could resolve the problem on their own, without the engineer’s assistance.
Unbeknownst to the crew, this decision would set in motion a chain of events that would seal their fate. Ignoring the warning signs, they opted to continue the flight to Lagos instead of diverting to the nearest airports of Ilorin or Ibadan. As they contacted the Lagos Air Traffic Control to request clearance for descent, crucial information about the inoperative left engine was withheld. The emergency checklist for an inoperative engine went unchecked, compounding the mounting dangers they were about to face.
Taking over as the flying pilot during the descent, Captain Waxtan maintained a sense of reassurance, noting that the right engine was still operational. His words, “Okay, this one is good for us so far,” masked the impending peril. However, their attempt to increase the rate of descent proved challenging, prompting Captain Waxtan to increase the throttle setting on the right engine. To his astonishment, the right engine failed to respond. Both engines had ceased to generate the necessary thrust, plunging the crew into a desperate situation. Realizing the gravity of their predicament, they finally declared an emergency.
The realization that both engines had failed completely dawned upon Captain Waxtan, who uttered the chilling words, “we just lost everything, we lost an engine, I lost both engines.”
One day after the crash, a top official from the Nigerian Aerospace Management Agency (NAMA) accused Dana Air of being ignorant even though the airline was aware that the crashed aircraft was not safe enough for passenger service. Further examination also showed that both engines were not in good shape. The fuel lines of both engines had also fractured and bent on its fittings. Apparently, the right engine had been overhauled in accordance with the bulletin by Volvo Flygmotor (an aircraft manufacturing company in Sweden) in 2005. The left engine was also overhauled by Millenium Engine Associates Inc in August 2011. Still, they were bought and shipped to Nigeria by Dana Airline.
Back to the story, in a matter of moments, the dire circumstances had stripped away their means of propulsion, leaving the aircraft helpless in the sky. The descent accelerated, and the ground grew ominously closer.
Tragically, the aircraft crashed in the densely populated Iju-Ishaga neighborhood near the airport. Its right wing collided with a two-story building owned by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, triggering a devastating chain of events. The aircraft careened into multiple trees and three additional buildings before erupting in a fiery inferno. The intensity of the blaze escalated when it reached an unfinished building storing flammable liquids, amplifying the destruction. Amid the chaos, many residents initially mistook the crash for an attack by the notorious Nigerian terrorist group, Boko Haram.
The aftermath of the crash scene was one of pandemonium. Thousands of onlookers from Lagos descended upon the site, attempting to lend aid and bear witness to the devastating impact. The scarcity of firefighting resources exacerbated the situation, with a shortage of fire trucks hampering the response efforts. Desperate residents resorted to using makeshift measures, wielding water hoses and plastic buckets in a valiant but ultimately futile attempt to combat the flames. Tensions escalated when soldiers tried to disperse the crowd using punches and rubber whips. The onlookers then threw stones at the soldiers in retaliation. The resulting clashes created a tumultuous scene.
In the end, there were no survivors found amidst the wreckage. The 153 passengers and crew members aboard Flight 0992 had tragically perished. Additionally, an unknown number of individuals on the ground lost their lives due to the crash’s devastating impact. It was later discovered through forensic analysis that 27 people seated at the rear of the aircraft initially survived the crash. Witnesses reported valiant efforts to rescue them, with locals attempting to open emergency exits. However, the suffocating smoke and subsequent explosions proved insurmountable, claiming their lives in a harrowing twist of fate.
May the memory of those lost in the Dana aircrash serve as a catalyst for lasting change, forever etched in the collective consciousness of a nation.
