According to a recent report from the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the Allied Air Boeing 737-400 Freighter that crash-landed at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on December 11, 2024, was on a mission to pick up cargo for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The preliminary report, released on Saturday, provides details of the incident, which occurred during the aircraft’s positioning flight. The Allied Air cargo plane, registered as 5N-JRT, had taken off from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 09:11 AM and began descending into Abuja at 09:44 AM.
“The aircraft had arrived from Douala earlier in the morning. The aircraft was scheduled for six sectors: Lagos-Abuja, Abuja-Sokoto, Sokoto-Abuja, Abuja-Yola, Yola-Abuja, and Abuja-Lagos, with the same flight crew,” the report reads.
Despite the crash-landing, all crew members on board managed to exit the aircraft safely. NSIB confirmed that “the structural integrity of the cabin and cockpit remained intact. All occupants exited safely through the forward main door without injuries.”
The report also examined the flight crew’s qualifications and the aircraft’s condition before the incident. It noted that both the Captain and First Officer had valid licenses and medical certificates. The aircraft itself had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and had completed 101 landings since November 1, 2024, with 85 of those using Flaps 15.
Weather conditions at the time of the incident were deemed not to have played a role in the crash-landing. “Weather conditions were favorable with no adverse meteorological factors reported. All navigational and communication equipment, except the Airfield Lighting Panel System, were serviceable,” the report stated.
