AIB releases final reports of three past crashes

Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N) has again released to the public another three final accident, incident reports and two safety bulletins on occurrences that happened in the Nigerian airspace.

This came three weeks after the Bureau released four accident reports.

Alongside the three final accident, incident reports and two safety bulletins released were 16 Safety Recommendations that can help in preventing similar accidents or serious incidents from reoccurring.

Addressing reporters at the AIB headquarters in Abuja today, the Commissioner of the Bureau, Mr Akin Olateru, stated that the newly released reports totalled the number of reports released by the Bureau since inception to 59 with 40 of them released under his administration while the Safety Recommendation released since AIB inception and under his administration totals 211 and 127 respectively.

Olateru also stated that the two safety bulletins newly released made it a total of three released by AIB.

He pointed out that the three safety bulletins were all released under his administration.

The three final reports just released by the AIB include; the report on the serious incident involving a Gulfstream G-IV aircraft owned and operated by Skybird Air Ltd with nationality and registration marks 5N-BOD which occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on September 12, 2018.

The Bureau also released the report on the Serious Incident involving a Boeing 747-200 aircraft owned and operated by Kabo Air Ltd with nationality and registration marks 5N-JRM which occurred at Sultan Abubakar Airport, Sokoto (DNSO), Sokoto State on October 4, 2013.

Also released was the report on the Serious Incident involving a B737-500 aircraft owned and operated by Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Ltd with nationality and registration marks 5N-BLG, which occurred on Runway 18R, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on April 9, 2016.

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The two Safety Bulletins released by the Bureau were the report on the Incident involving a Tampico Club TB-9 aircraft owned and operated by Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) with nationality and registration marks 5N-CBG which occurred at Zaria Aerodrome, Kaduna State on December 10, 2013, and the report on the incident involving a Tampico Club TB-9 aircraft also owned and operated by NCAT with nationality and registration marks 5N-CBB which occurred at Zaria Aerodrome, Kaduna State on June 18, 2014.

Speaking on the importance of safety recommendations the Bureau issues with the final reports, Olateru called on all aviation stakeholders to ensure that they avail themselves of the AIB reports, draw useful lessons from them and implement the safety recommendations where applicable.

His words: “Safety recommendations are critical to the Bureau’s basic role of accident prevention since it is the lever used to bring about safety changes to and improvements in the nations aviation system. It is therefore expected that the stakeholders would take the AIB safety recommendations very seriously and complement AIB’s efforts by implementing the recommendations, where applicable, to prevent future recurrence of similar events.”

The Commissioner who also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the timely release of occurrence reports, declared that his administration was doing its best possible to ensure that aircraft accident and serious incidents that fall under the purview of AIB are promptly, excellently and professionally investigated by its well-seasoned aircraft accident investigators.

He, however, appreciated the Ministry of Aviation and the Minister of Aviation, Sen Hadi Sirika, for their relentless support for the activities of the Bureau.

Olateru, while appreciating his team of aircraft accident Investigators for their relentless effort in ensuring that aircraft occurrences are excellently investigated and final reports are promptly released, also called on agencies and organisations to recognise human training and capacity building as one of the most important means of boosting their staff performance thereby boosting their prestige and resources.

He also assured that AIB will not relent in seeking an enhanced positive working relationship with other organisations and agencies in pursuit of its mandate and seek new innovative ways that would ensure the continuous safety of the Nigerian airspace and Africa.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE