Nigerian investigators probing an Embraer ERJ-145 overrun at Lagos have revealed that the crew had been forced to hold just before the approach because the runway was closed due to bad weather.
The XE Jet aircraft (5N-BZZ) had been inbound from Abuja on 11 May.
Some 25min before landing, another flight – operated by United Nigeria Airlines – had executed a missed approach to Lagos’s runway 18L and diverted to Asaba, citing the weather conditions.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms were in the vicinity and the runway was subsequently closed, states the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
The ERJ-145 entered a holding pattern and descended to 5,000ft while the runway remained shut.
It stayed in the hold for around 8min before the runway re-opened and the aircraft was cleared for an ILS approach.
The crew was informed that heavy rain and thunderstorms were still present and visibility was down to 1,000m, and Lagos approach control asked the pilots’ intentions, given the United Nigeria abort.
“We are proceeding to minimums,” the crew responded.
After being given landing clearance, and weather information indicating crosswinds, the crew signalled that they had “landing sign in sight” at 1.9nm, but did not reply to a further tower query.
Preliminary findings from the inquiry state that the surface of 18L – which is 2,745m in length – was “contaminated with water due to heavy rainfall”.
The ERJ-145 touched down about 840m past the threshold and travelled just over 2,200m, tending to drift left. It overran the runway and came to rest on grass about 300m beyond.
Passengers and crew members disembarked through the main exit door. None of the 52 occupants was injured and the jet was undamaged, although its left-hand main landing-gear tyres deflated.
