On June 3, 2012, Dana Air Flight 992 was headed from the Nigerian capital Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria. Shortly before landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, the crew reported engine trouble and declared an emergency. The aircraft crashed short of the airport into a heavily populated neighborhood. All 146 passengers and seven crew on board were killed in the wreck; at least 10 people on the ground were killed and many more on the ground were wounded.
The victims of this disaster included many citizens of Nigeria as well as American, Chinese, Canadian, French, German and Lebanese passengers. Investigation into the cause of the engine failure of the American-made MD-83 aircraft is ongoing and involves both Nigerian and American authorities.
On July 12, 2012, an interim report was released by the Accident Investigation Bureau of Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation. The interim report noted that cockpit voice recorder sounds were successfully extracted and the pilots reported a dual engine failure shortly before the crash. This is consistent with allegations of engine failure against The Boeing Company that are being pursued by Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. in litigation filed in Chicago.
Other noteworthy findings in the report include the following: Data from the flight data recorder was destroyed in the post-crash fire and unreadable, the aircraft had plenty of fuel to complete the flight, early fuel supply sampling demonstrated no fuel contamination, and the aircraft had successfully completed eight flights since last receiving maintenance on June 1, 2012. The interim report can be found in its entirety here.
Litigation
Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. is involved in representing the family of a young woman killed in the crash in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Chicago, the home city of the aircraft manufacturer The Boeing Company. It is anticipated that additional victims’ families will join the litigation soon.
Our Experienced Aviation Accident Attorneys
At Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. our attorneys have a remarkable record of success representing victims of aviation accidents and their families. We have obtained numerous large verdicts and settlements for our clients, including, for instance, over $14 million for victims of the American Airlines Little Rock plane crash, over $13 million for victims of a Swissair crash in Nova Scotia, over $10 million for victims of USAir Flight 1016 in Charlotte, an $8.1 million jury verdict arising out of the crash of USAir Flight 405 in New York, and in Dec. 2009 we obtained a $7.1 million verdict for the family of a Comair Flight 5191 victim.
Our aviation litigation team includes a former deputy director of the National Transportation Safety Board as well as one of the most experienced aviation trial attorneys in the United States. Our firm is highly respected for its work and achievements on behalf of victims of commercial aviation accidents over the last two-plus decades. We understand what it takes to help the families of those killed in airplane crashes receive maximum compensation, and we understand the compassion and personal service that clients deserve following such tragedies.
If you have lost a loved one in the Dana Air Flight 992 disaster, you should speak to a skilled aviation lawyer as soon as possible about your legal rights. Contact us to schedule a free initial consultation. We can help you throughout the process and ensure that you have the support and assistance you need. You can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
