Investigation Summary
The investigation revealed a significant breakdown in Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) and a failure to adhere to adverse weather protocols. Despite receiving six wind reports from the tower within six minutes, including warnings of gusty conditions and an approaching thunderstorm, the crew requested immediate takeoff. During the initial climb, the aircraft transitioned from a headwind to a tailwind (windshear). The Pilot Flying (PF) responded by pulling back on the yoke, increasing the pitch to a point where airflow to the engines was disrupted, causing a momentary loss of power. The Pilot Not Flying (PNF) exacerbated the situation by calling for the PF to 'pull up' rather than monitoring the airspeed and pitch limits. This resulted in a left-wing drop of over 90 degrees and a steep descent from which recovery was impossible due to the low altitude. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the airport radar was switched off at the time of the accident. This caused significant confusion and delayed the search and rescue efforts, as controllers could not pinpoint the crash site, potentially impacting the survival rate of those on board.
Final Conclusions
The primary cause was the pilot's decision to take off in known adverse weather and the subsequent failure to execute proper windshear recovery procedures. Contributory factors included the lack of company Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for adverse weather, the use of inappropriate simulator equipment for windshear training, and inconsistent coordination between the PF and PNF.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Why Did Flight 053 ADC Plane Crash in Nigeria — A detailed look at the events leading to the crash of ADC Airlines Flight 053, focusing on the windshear encounter and the investigation into pilot training and oversight.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Windshear Computer
Post-crash examination was conducted to determine if the system provided adequate warning to the crew.
GPWS
The Ground Proximity Warning System recorded 'Terrain, pull up' alerts as the aircraft lost altitude during the stall.
JT8D-17 Engines
High pitch attitude during the windshear encounter caused temporary airflow disruption and power loss in both engines.
Interesting Facts
- 01The 105 souls on board consisted of 100 passengers and 5 crew members.
- 02The crash killed the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Maccido, the spiritual leader of Nigeria's Muslims.
- 03The aircraft was manufactured on 20 October 1983.
- 04Nine people survived the crash (8 passengers and 1 flight attendant), all with minor injuries.
- 05The accident was the third major aviation disaster in Nigeria in less than a year.
- 06The flight was a multi-leg journey originating in Calabar, stopping in Lagos and Abuja, destined for Sokoto.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Regulatory Reform
The crash led to the creation of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as an independent regulatory body to improve oversight.
Training Standards
New requirements were implemented for pilot training, specifically focusing on windshear recovery and simulator recurrency using appropriate equipment.