Inadequate facilities and bad weather caused the deaths of 107 persons aboard a DC-9 aircraft that crashed in Port Harcourt, in the Niger Delta, last December 10, the Nigerian government was told in a report Wednesday, according to dpa. There were just two surviors among the 102 passengers and seven crew on board the aircraft owned by an indigenous operator, Sosoliso Airlines. It crashed at the Port Harcourt airport and burst into flames during a heavy downpour. The crash report, submitted by Nigeria's Ministry of Aviation, said that "basic meteorological equipment for measuring visibility and cloud conditions are lacking at the Port Harcourt airport." It added: "The crew asked approach personnel whether it was raining over the airport, but the approach controller reported negative rain." It said: "The aircraft on final approach encountered adverse weather with change in wind speed and direction, while visibility was reducing in thunderstorm and rain." It noted that although the airfield lighting was operational and were in serviceable condition at the time of the crash "they were not switched on, (in order) to conserve scarce funds and resources to maintain power supply in the area". The report stressed the need for uninterrupted power supply in the airport area and also the need for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to monitor and strictly enforce standards on airfield lighting, fire cover and aviation personnel training. It said because of poor visibility and incorrect weather report by officials, the plane miscalculated the landing approach and its tail section made contact with the grass strip between the runway and the taxiway.
