KOLA KARIM’S JET HAD FOUR MID-AIR FAILURES IN FOUR MONTHS

The private jet linked to Nigerian businessman Kola Karim that lost its main cabin door shortly after taking off from Abuja on Thursday had suffered four flight-control failures in four months in 2005, forcing emergency diversions to destinations across Europe and the Middle East, according to official United Kingdom investigation records.

The Kola Karim jet four mid-air failures revelation raises serious questions about the aircraft’s operational history and the maintenance of private charter aircraft in Nigeria.

THE AIRCRAFT

The aircraft, registered as T7-SEI, is a 21-year-old Bombardier Challenger 604 with Manufacturer Serial Number 5593. It was built in Canada in September 2004 .

The jet is now associated with Shoreline Energy International, the oil and gas company founded by Karim. Flight-tracking information lists the aircraft as operated by Empire Aviation San Marino and Triton Aviation, with flights between Lagos and Abuja under the callsigns DWC and MJE .

THE 2005 FAILURES

According to the United Kingdom Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Report No. 1/2008, which investigated incidents involving the aircraft under its previous registration VP-BJM, serial number 5593, the aircraft suffered a series of flight-control failures between July and November 2005.

THE FIRST FAILURE — JULY 12, 2005

The first occurred when the aircraft had accumulated just 113 flight hours and 79 landings.

During cruise, the stabiliser trim channel disengaged and could not be re-engaged. The trim-position indication also disappeared from the aircraft’s primary Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS).

The crew diverted to Toulouse, France, where engineers found contamination on the motherboard of the Horizontal Stabiliser Trim Control Unit (HSTCU). The unit was replaced.

THE SECOND FAILURE — AUGUST 18, 2005

The second failure occurred when the aircraft had accumulated 144 flight hours and 95 landings. Its technical log recorded a stabiliser trim runaway during final approach .

THE THIRD FAILURE — SEPTEMBER 14, 2005

On September 14, 2005, the aircraft suffered a third failure, approximately five hours into a cruise flight. The stabiliser trim, autopilot pitch trim and mach trim systems failed.

Although Channel 2 appeared to be engaged, it did not respond to manual commands, forcing the crew to divert to Beirut, Lebanon.

THE FOURTH FAILURE — NOVEMBER 11, 2005

The fourth incident was particularly serious.

At 3:22 p.m., approximately eight nautical miles west of the Midhurst VOR in West Sussex, England, the aircraft experienced another stabiliser trim malfunction.It had accumulated only 202 flight hours and 129 landings since leaving the factory.

According to the investigation, the stabiliser trim continued moving towards an almost full nose-down position despite the crew’s attempts to apply nose-up trim commands.

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The crew had to maintain prolonged, heavy aft pressure on the control column to prevent the aircraft from pitching down. With the autopilot unable to maintain the aircraft’s attitude and the trim indication lost, the commander diverted to London Heathrow Airport for an emergency landing .

THE ROOT CAUSE

The subsequent investigation traced the failures to contamination inside the HSTCU, caused by moisture ingress. Investigators also found that the unit had not been properly secured in its avionics rack, identifying an installation error dating from the aircraft’s early service life.

CORRECTIVE ACTION

Following the incidents, Bombardier issued service bulletins, while Transport Canada issued airworthiness directives requiring inspections, cleaning and replacement of affected HSTCUs across the Challenger 604 fleet .

THE RECENT INCIDENT

The discovery of the 2005 failures comes after the aircraft lost its main cabin door during a flight from Abuja to Lagos on Thursday.

The crew declared a Mayday emergency at about 4:20 p.m. after the door opened in flight. The aircraft returned to Abuja and made an emergency landing .

A video shared on social media showed the detached door, which was reportedly found in a local farm where it fell.

WHY IT MATTERS

The discovery of the 2005 failures raises further questions about the aircraft’s operational history. However, the earlier incidents, by themselves, do not establish any connection with the recent door incident or indicate that the aircraft was unsafe to operate.

The cause of the reported door failure during Thursday’s flight remains unclear. It was also not immediately known whether the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority or the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau had commenced or concluded an investigation into the incident.

For Karim, the incident raises questions about the maintenance and oversight of his private aviation assets. For Nigerian aviation regulators, it raises questions about the oversight of private charter aircraft.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the investigation is ongoing. The aircraft’s troubled history will be central to the inquiry.