Every Nigerian aircrash incident brings darkness into the Nigeria nation. Like a passenger plane operated by ADC Airlines, with more than 100 people on board that crashed near the Nigerian capital of Abuja, killing ninety six passenger including the Sultan of Sokoto. This was a crash too many for the world's most populous black nation.

Nigeria recorded its first plane crash on November 20, 1969, when a government-owned DC-10 aircraft on a flight from London crash-landed in Lagos and killed all 87 passengers and crew on board.

Between November 1969 and October 2006, at least 1000 persons have been killed in plane crashes involving Nigeria, Nigerians or Nigerian- operated aircrafts.

Below is a scoop from achives (Newspapers and Internet) on the sorry history of air crashes in Nigeria.

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nigeria air crashes
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November 20, 1969: Lagos, Nigeria: a government-owned DC-10 aircraft on a flight from London crash- landed and killed all 87 passengers and crew on board.
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1973, A Boeing 707 crashed in Kano. 171 Nigerian Muslims returning from Mecca and 5 crewmen died in crash.
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March 1978: A former-28 Nigeria Airways crashed in Kano, 16 people died.
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December 3, 1988, Nigeria Airways Forker-28 crashed in Enugu, killing 103 passengers.
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December 1988: Skypower Brandeironte aircraft overshot Ilorin Airport runway All the passengers died.
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February 24, 1991: British Helicopter crashed in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, killing all nine people on board.
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May 21, 1991: A Cessna Citation 550 of Ashaka Cement, Hombe, crashed, killing all on board.
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June 26, 1991: An Okada Air Bac-11 crashed in Sokoto, three people died.
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September 26, 1992: NAF C-130 Hercules from Lagos to Kaduna crashed at Ejigbo, Lagos 157 military officers on board died.
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July 11, 1991: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Canadian-chartered DC-8 carrying pilgrims returning to Nigeria crashed after take-off, killing 261 people.
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Ibrahim Abacha, son of Sani Abacha, was killed in a plane crash 17 January 1996. The group "United Front for Nigeria's Liberation" (UFNL) claimed responsibility for the crash.
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1996, ADC- November, Ejirin, near Epe, controlled by Captain Sama, Plunged into lagoon. The aircraft touched down about halfway down the runway and eventually skidded off the runway off to one side. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed by fire. Nine of the 129 passengers were killed.
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September 12, 1997: A NAF Dornier 228-212 in Nguru, Bornu State ran into a ditch during the take off, none of the 10 people died.
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October 26, 2000: Dornier aircraft plunged into a thick bush near the Niger Delta, 6 occupants injured.
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May 4, 2002: Kano, Nigeria: EAS Airline BAC 1-11 bound for Lagos plowed into a poor, densely populated suburb of Kano shortly after takeoff, killing 148. Dead included all 76 aboard and dozens on the ground.

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March 20, 2003: An ADC Boeing 737 from Calabar Airport skidded off the runway. 100 people on board escaped.
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November 30, 2003, a Cargo aircraft of Hydro Cargo, Brussels, Belgium, crash landed.
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March 6, 2004: An aenail spray aircraft with registration number 5NBEF belonging to Berfieex Nigeria Ltd, crashed at the Bauchi Airport.
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July 26, 2004: Pan African Airlines' helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in Eacraros, Delta State, 4 people on board died.
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December 29, 2004: A Boeing 727 of Chanchangi Airlines belly- landed at the MMA.
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December 29, 2004: A Kenya Airlines aircraft crashed- landed at the MMA due to gear fault.
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January 28, 2005: A Nigeria Air Force fighter plane crashed into a farmland in Yar Kanya, Kano State.
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February25, 2005: ADC's B73 aircraft had its tyre burnt while landing at Yola airport.
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March 27, 2005: A Boeing 737 of Bellview had one of its engines caught fire.
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June 12, 2005: Lagos: a Boeing 727-200 aircraft belonging to the domestic Chachangi Airlines overshot the runway at Murtala Muhammed airport, while yet another overshot the runway at the airport in Jos in central Nigeria a day earlier (June 11, 2005).
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June 24, 2005: A Russian aircraft belonging to Harka Air crash- landed at the MMA, all the people on board died.
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July 6, 2005, Port Harcourt: an Air France A330 plane crashed into a herd of cattle at Port Harcourt airport sustaining serious damage and killing many of the cows. The airport had no perimeter fence and herdsmen usually take their cattle across the tarmac, sometimes abandoning them there.
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July 13, 2005: Lagos: a Ugandan-registered cargo aircraft, belonging to Almiron Aviation, overshot the runway at Murtala Muhammed airport. There were no casualties.
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On July 23, 2005, a Lufthansa aircraft crash-landed at Lagos airport and was badly damaged, but no life was lost.
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22 October: A Bellview airlines Boeing 737 carrying 117 people on board crashes soon after take-off from the Nigerian city of Lagos, killing everyone on board.
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10 December 2005: A Sosoliso Airlines DC-9 crashes in the southern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt, killing 103 people on board including 75 school children.
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September 17, 2006: Air Force Dornier 228-212 aircraft (with 18 people on board) crashed into the hills of Ushongo village in Benue State, 18 nautical miles from its destination, Obudu in Cross River State; 18 people (including 10 army generals and 4 colonels) dead.
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October 29, 2006: Ninety-six of the passengers who boarded the ADC flight from Abuja destined for the north-western city of Sokoto, died including the spiritual leader of Nigeria's Muslims, the Sultan of Sokoto.
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November 10, 2006: OAS Service Helicopter crashed in Warri, Delta state killing 4 on board.
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August 2, 2007: Bristow-owned helicopter crashed inside ExxonMobil facility in Port Harcout.
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March 15, 2008: Beechcraft 1900D plane marked 5N-JAH, belonging to Wing Aviation crashed in the mountainous forest of Busi in Cross River State on its way to Obudu airstrip. The wreakage was not found until 6 months after the disappearance of the aircraft. All 4 man crew on board died.


In a recent data released by African Airlines Associated covering 1998 - 2007, Nigeria ranked 5th among the 10 African Countries with the highest air accident.