The Nation Newspaper

Tag: plane crash

  • Bin Laden’s relations killed in UK airport plane crash

    Bin Laden’s relations killed in UK airport plane crash

    Family members of Osama Bin Laden were killed in a private jet crash in Hampshire on Friday, the Saudi Arabian embassy in the UK has said.

    It came down near Blackbushe Airport, close to the Surrey border, killing the pilot and all three passengers.

    The Saudi ambassador in the UK, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud, offered condolences to the Bin Laden family.

    The embassy said it was in contact with the British crash investigators.

    The statement said: “His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud… has paid his condolences to the family and relatives of Mohammed bin Laden at Blackbushe airport in Britain for the great loss they have suffered as a result of the crash of the plane that was carrying the family.”

    The embassy added that it was working with the British authorities to ensure the speedy handover of the bodies for funerals and burials in Saudi Arabia.

    The plane – an Embraer Phenom 300 – is reported to have belonged to an aviation firm owned by the Saudi-based family of the former al-Qaeda leader.

    The plane, which was arriving from Milan, Italy, crashed into a British Car Auctions site at the airfield shortly after 15:00 BST, exploding on impact.

    Eyewitnesses at the scene said there had been a “ball of flames” and “several explosions”.

    Its pilot and all three passengers were killed but no-one on the ground was injured, Hampshire Police said.

    The force is carrying out a joint investigation with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and has urged anyone with pictures and videos to get in touch on 101.

    A spokeswoman for AAIB said a team had been deployed to the site.

    In a statement, Blackbushe Airport, in Yateley, which is currently closed, said the jet had crashed near the end of the runway while attempting to make a landing.

    Phil Giles, a former air accident investigator, said: “It suggests that the plane either landed too late or tried to take off again when the pilot realised it wasn’t going to make the end of the runway.

    “Or it may have been a problem with the brakes.”

    A spokeswoman for Milan Malpensa Airport confirmed the plane had left at 13:30 BST on its way to Hampshire.

    The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation tweeted that the plane was a Saudi-registered private aircraft, and said it would support the UK’s AAIB in its investigation.

    Geoff Pierce, an aviation enthusiast from Fleet in Hampshire was at Blackbushe airfield and saw the plane come down.

    He said: “I’ve seen that type of aircraft land a number of times at the airport. At first I didn’t realise what was happening, I was taking photos at the time.”

    He said the plane did not seem to make a normal approach and appeared to be going at high speed.

    “The next thing I knew the siren was wailing on the control tower and then I saw a big plume of black smoke.”

    Barry Wright said there was a “huge bang” followed by an explosion.

    “It started off instantly with smoke coming up, then there was a small flame from the top of the air craft, then…it just literally went into a ball of flames within a minute.”

     

     

     

  • BREAKING! 148 passenger plane crashes in France

    BREAKING! 148 passenger plane crashes in France

    An Airplane, A320 with 142 passengers and six crew members has gone down in southern France, authority say.

    General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA reported that the jet, which belonged to Germanwings low-cost airline, was flying from Barcelona to Düsseldorf when it crashed.

    Rescue efforts are underway as authorities are yet to find out the cause of the crashed.

     

    Details later …

  • ‘US girl survivor’ reports fatal Kentucky plane crash

    ‘US girl survivor’ reports fatal Kentucky plane crash

    A DISORIENTED seven-year-old US girl has walked to a home in the US state of Kentucky to report that her plane had crashed, police said.

    The plane was later found with four bodies inside in Lyon County, about 50km east of Paducah city.

    US TV news network NBC said the girl told the man who answered the door to her that her parents died in the crash.

    The identity of the girl has not been released and police have not commented on her relationship with the victims.

    The Federal Aviation Administration said air traffic controllers lost contact with the Piper PA-34 aircraft after the pilot reported engine problems.

    About 30 minutes after the plane lost contact, a resident of Lyon County called police to say the girl had walked to his home to report the crash.

    Larry Wilkins, 71, told NBC when he answered his door on Friday night there was a “little girl” standing there barefooted who was “bleeding pretty badly”.

    “She told me that her mom and her dad were dead, and she was in a plane crash, and the plane was upside down,” he said.

    “She asked if she could stay here. I got a wash cloth and cleaned her up. And of course called 911,” he added. “I felt so sorry for her, tears come to my eyes. Brave little girl.”

  • Myles Munroe, wife, daughter die in Plane Crash

    Myles Munroe, wife, daughter die in Plane Crash

    Death has been announced of Dr. Myles Munroe, internationally-known author, bible teacher, government consultant and leadership mentor.

    The great bible scholar was one of the nine passengers on an executive plane that crashed in Grand Bahama on Sunday afternoon, according to news reports that flooded the web on Monday morning.

    The Department of Civil Aviation reported that the Lear 36 executive jet, which departed the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) for the Grand Bahama International Airport, a privately owned international airport in Freeport, at 4:07 p.m. and carried nine people, crashed while making its landing approach at 5.10pm.

    Initial reports revealed that the private jet reportedly struck a crane at the Grand Bahama Ship Yard, exploding on impact and crashing into the ground near a junkyard area, killing all passengers on board. Meanwhile a full investigation is expected to begin later today. The identities of the other people on board have not been confirmed yet.

    The crash occurred as people were gathering in Grand Bahama for Dr. Munroe’s 2014 Global Leadership Forum, which starts today, Monday, November 10, and was scheduled to feature Africa’s richest woman and oil mogul, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija and Andrew Young, Former mayor of Atlanta and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

    Upon receiving the news of the incidence, Mr. Young, who was scheduled to speak at the popular leadership forum, released a statement through his foundation, saying: “Ambassador Young expresses his deep sadness over the tragic death of his friends Dr. Myles and Mrs. Ruth Munroe. He offers condolences to the Munroe family and the families of the other souls who lost their lives as a result of this shocking plane crash.”

    Known for his work and teachings on leadership, purpose and maximizing your potential, vision, individual and national transformation, Dr. Munroe was the senior pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries International Fellowship, where his wife, Ruth Ann, served as co-senior pastor.

    News reports from forbes.com affirmed that Dr. Munroe died living out his purpose in life; spreading the gospel of Christ.

    The bestselling author’s wife, Ruth Ann Munroe, and daughter, Charisa were also reported to be on-board the vessel that crashed, leaving behind a son, Chairo (Myles Jr.) Munroe.

  • How I survived plane crash, by Feyi Agagu

    How I survived plane crash, by Feyi Agagu

    •First Agagu remembrance lecture holds next month

    Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu’s son, Feyi, has reflected on the plane crash that nearly took his life almost a year ago, attributing his survival to God.

    He described his escape from death as a rare miracle for which his family would always be grateful to God.

    He added: “I am not just lucky; I am a blessed survivor.” The younger Agagu , who spoke with reporters in Lagos on his traumatic experience, acknowledged that only few could have survived in that moment of uncertainty, tension and anxiety.

    Feyi was involved in plane crash in Lagos almost a year ago. The plane was carrying his father’s body to Akure, the Ondo State capital, for a state burial.

    He and one of his in-laws survived the crash in which the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Deji Falae, the undertaker, Tunji Okunsanya and his son, died.

    Feyi said: “Not many could have survived a plane crash. It is not something you plan or pray for. It takes God’s grace. I cannot say it was because of how I sat in the plane or where I sat.

    “I just saw the plane going down. I saw smoke and I passed out. When I opened my eyes in the hospital, I could recollect what happened within seconds. I remembered that the plane was going down.”

    Agagu’s younger brother and his Chief of Staff, Femi, said friends and relatives would converge on University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan for the maiden anniversary lecture in memory of the late governor next month.

    Agagu was an alumnus and teacher at the university before he ventured into business and politics.

    Femi, who spoke on the life and time of his brother, described him as a great and honest politician who left worthy legacies.

    He added: “Agagu was a university teacher, deputy governor, minister of Power and Steel and minister of Aviation. He was the governor of Ondo State. As the deputy governor, he fought for the inclusion of Ondo State on the list of oil-producing states. He constructed many roads and opened up the rural areas of Ilaje. The bridges are still there. He established a university in Ondo South. It is still there till today.

    “He initiated the Olokola project and attracted other industrial major concerns. It has been the largest investment-driven concern in sub-Sahara Africa. If it has materialised, there would be no joblessness. He started the projects.

    “As the governor, he set up the Fund Allocation Committee made up of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Finance Commissioner, Head of Service, Secretary to the Government, representative of the Council of Obas, and Chief Judge. The Commissioner for Finance always briefed the media monthly for four and half years on how the money was being spent. There was due process. It was an era of transparency”.

  • 295 die in Malaysian plane crash

    295 die in Malaysian plane crash

    Malaysian airliner crashed over eastern Ukraine yesterday, killing all 295 people aboard and sharply raising stakes in a conflict between Kiev and pro-Moscow rebels in which Russia and the West back opposing sides.

    The total number of dead in the crash near the Russian border includes 23 United States citizens, a Ukrainian interior ministry aide said. No other independent confirmation of the total was available.

    U.S. President Barack Obama said the crash was a “terrible tragedy” and the United States would offer any assistance necessary to help determine what happened and why.

    Ukraine accused “terrorists” — militants fighting to unite eastern Ukraine with Russia — of shooting down the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 with a heavy, Soviet-era ground-to-air missile as it flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

    Leaders of rebels in the Donetsk People’s Republic denied any involvement, although around the same time their military commander said his forces had downed a much smaller Ukrainian transport plane – their third such attack this week

    Reuters journalists saw burning and charred wreckage bearing the red and blue Malaysia insignia and dozens of bodies strewn in fields near the village of Grabovo, 25 miles from the Russian border near the rebel-held regional capital of Donetsk.

    Malaysia Airlines said air traffic controllers lost contact with flight MH-17 at 10:15 a.m. Central time as it flew over eastern Ukraine towards the Russian border, bound for Asia with 280 passengers and 15 crew aboard. Flight tracking data indicated it was at its cruising altitude of 33,000 feet when it disappeared.

    “I was working in the field on my tractor when I heard the sound of a plane and then a bang,” one local man at Grabovo told Reuters. “Then I saw the plane hit the ground and break in two. There was thick black smoke.”

    An emergency worker said at least 100 bodies had been found so far and that debris was spread over nine miles. Workers were scouring the area for the black box flight recorders.

    “MH-17 is not an incident or catastrophe, it is a terrorist attack,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tweeted. He has stepped up his military campaign against the rebels since a ceasefire late last month failed to produce any negotiations.

    Russia, which Western powers accuse of trying to destabilise Ukraine to maintain influence over its old Soviet empire, has accused Kiev’s leaders of mounting a fascist coup. It says it is holding troops in readiness to protect Russian-speakers in the east — the same rationale it used for taking over Crimea.

    Ukrainian Interior Ministry official Anton Gerashchenko said on Facebook: “Just now, over Torez, terrorists using a Buk anti-aircraft system kindly given to them by Putin have shot down a civilian airliner flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.”

    “There is no limit to the cynicism of Putin and his terrorists!” he wrote on the social media site. “Europe, USA, Canada, the civilized world, open your eyes! Help us in any way you can! This is a war of good against evil!”

    A rebel leader said Ukrainian forces shot the airliner down and that rebel forces did not have weaponry capable of hitting a plane flying 6 miles up. Ukrainian officials said their military was not involved in the incident.

    The military commander of the rebels, a Russian named Igor Strelkov, had written on his social media page at 10:37 Central time, half an hour before the last reported contact with MH-17, that his forces had brought down an Antonov An-26 in the same area. It is a turboprop transport plane of a type used by Ukraine’s forces.

    There was no comment on that from the Ukrainian military.

    Several Ukrainian planes and helicopters have been shot down in four months of fighting in the area. Ukraine had said an An-26 was shot down on Monday and one of its Sukhoi Su-25 fighters was downed on Wednesday by an air-to-air missile — Kiev’s strongest accusation yet of direct Russian involvement, since the rebels do not appear to have access to aircraft.

    Moscow has denied its forces are involved in any way.

    The loss of MH-17 is the second disaster for Malaysia Airlines this year, following the mysterious loss of flight MH-370. It disappeared in March with 239 passengers and crew on board on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

    In 2001, Ukraine admitted its military was probably responsible for shooting down a Russian airliner that crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 78 people on board. A senior Ukrainian official said it had most likely been downed by an accidental hit from an S-200 rocket fired during exercises.

    In 1983, a Soviet jet fighter shot down a South Korean airliner after it veered off course into Russian air space and failed to respond to attempts to make contact. All 269 passengers and crew were killed.

    In 1988, the U.S. warship Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner over the Gulf, killing all 290 passengers and crew, in what the United States said was an accident after crew mistook the plane for a fighter. Tehran called it a deliberate attack.

    The scale of the disaster affecting scores of foreigners could prove a turning point for international pressure to resolve a crisis that has claimed hundreds of lives in Ukraine since pro-Western protests toppled the Moscow-backed president in Kiev in February and Russia annexed Crimea a month later.

    As word came in of what Ukraine’s Western-backed president called a “terrorist attack”, the Russian and U.S. leaders, Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama, were discussing a new round of economic sanctions that Washington and its EU partners imposed on Moscow Wednesday to try to force Putin to do more to curb the revolt against the Western-backed government in Kiev.

    They noted the early reports during their telephone call, the White House said, adding that Obama warned of further sanctions if Moscow did not change course in Ukraine.

  • Breaking: Malaysia Airlines crashes in Ukraine

    Breaking: Malaysia Airlines crashes in Ukraine

    Malaysia Airlines MH17 passenger jet has crashed in Ukraine near the Russian border

    The Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur had 280 passengers and 15 crew members on board.

    Cause of  the crash  yet unknown.

     

    UPDATE 1: Malaysia Airlines Twitter feed says airline has lost contact with Flight MH17 from Amsterdam

    UPDATE 2: According to Reuters, “Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser said the Buk missile was fired by separatists: Interfax”

  • Training plane crash-lands in Ilorin

    Training plane crash-lands in Ilorin

    Authorities of the International Aviation College, Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday said one of their training aircraft crash-landed.

    The incident occurred within the college’s vicinity.

    On board were an instructor and two students, who escaped unhurt, Acting Rector Abdulmumini Abdulkarim said.

    Abdulkarim, who briefed reporters in Ilorin, said: “As a pilot of over 32 years experience, their escape is commendable.”

    He said: “Today, an incident involving a single-engine aircraft DA40 with registration number 5N-BRD occured at 11.33am. Three people were on board.

    “They escaped without injury. They were taken to the college’s clinic for proper check and certified okay.

    “The college contacted the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), which are the regulatory bodies. We are awaiting their arrival from Abuja.”

    The rector added that the aircraft suffered structural damage, adding: “We operate single and double-engine aircraft for training. In the last two years of operations, we have not experienced any incident.”

     

  • Breaking: Associated Plane crash DNA results released

    Breaking: Associated Plane crash DNA results released

    The Department of Pathology and Forensic, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja is ready with the results, documentation and tagging of the victims of the crashed aircraft conveying the remains of the former governor, Ondo, late Agagu.
    The total number involved in the incident was 16 but 12 needed DNA and it had been done overseas and results ready.

    The Nation gathered that family and relations of the deceased can come forward to claim the remains of their loved ones that were involved in the mishap “as from now”, said an official who prefer anonymity.

  • Omoni Oboli eulogises Deji Falae on his birthday

    Omoni Oboli eulogises Deji Falae on his birthday

    Top flight Nollywood actress yesterday took to her twitter handle to mourn one of the victims of the ill-fated flight of Thursday,October 3, Deji Falae who would have added a year October 9.
    It was in the indeed a heartfelt message that caught the attention of other sympathizers who couldn’t hold back the urge to reply with comments, consoling the actress as well as families of the deceased.

    Omoni in her message said, “Death took you Deji, a few days to your birthday. God knows best. Father you are worthy of our praise.

    Happy Birthday! RIP! Forever in our hearts. In another tweet the actress said, “Happy birthday Deji, you would have been a year older today. We remember you dear friend. RIP!
    No sooner had the actress dropped those lines, than she started receiving replies to her tweets. One of them reads, “It’s really sad but I believe God has a reason…May the family and friends be comforted in Jesus Name”Dear friend. RIP.  You would have been a year older today.