The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has said that the implementations of the recommendations made in its accident investigation reports by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA has led to improved air safety in Nigeria.
AIB Commissioner and CEO, Akin Olateru disclosed this on Wednesday when he released four accident reports and also introduced the AIB App in Lagos.
Olateru said air safety has significantly improved in Nigeria due to the measures taken by NCAA and the implementation of the Bureau’s recommendations after the investigation of various accidents in the country.
The Bureau noted that some of the recommendations prompted the close monitoring of the activities of airlines, including their notifying the regulatory authority when they want to change aircraft engines, the audit of airlines’ technical teams and strict adherence to weather reports.
Olateru also said that the Bureau has established a unit to monitor the implementation of its safety recommendations to ensure they are implemented, noting that the main objective of accident investigation is to prevent such incident or accident from happening and that is why recommendations after investigation is very important.
Since 2013 Nigeria has not recorded any accident and with the strict compliance of airlines to the regulations, it is hoped that the country would continue to keep the zero accident record.
Among the four accident reports presented by AIB include the report on the serious incident involving a Boeing 737-500 with registration 5N-BLE belonging to Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Ltd, which occurred at (Flight) FL330 en route Kaduna Airport on June 5, 2015; the report on the Serious Incident to Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Socata TBM 850 aircraft with registration 5N-BZA which occurred Near Kaduna Airport, Kaduna, Nigeria on the May 21, 2013.
There are also the reports on the accident involving Gitto Construczioni Generali Nigeria Limited Bell 407 helicopter with registration 5N-BIC at Uyo Airport, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria on October 21, 2009 and the report on the serious incident involving International Aviation College (IAC) Diamond DA42 Aircraft with registration 5N-BNH, on Runway 23 of Ilorin International Airport, which occurred on August 18, 2014.
On the accident involving Aero flight, which is the only commercial airliner among the accidents investigated, AIB said it was not officially notified but got to know of the serious incident the following day, June 6, 2015 through the media, adding that “relevant authorities and stake holders were appropriately notified thereafter.’
AIB recommended that NCAA should ensure that the activities of flight operations and maintenance departments of Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited are carried out in compliance with the Nig.CARs (Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations).
The Commissioner, Olateru said that since the Bureau was established in 2007 it has published 117 safety recommendations but in 2017 alone, it has published 35 safety recommendations.
