The Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria has released six final accident and serious incident reports that occurred in Nigeria aviation industry between 2012 and 2018.
The Bureau also issued 24 safety recommendations that can prevent future accidents and serious incidents.
Among the six reports released were four accidents and two serious incidents, three of which occurred in 2018.
One of the accidents was a Cessna 208B Caravan with Registration Marks 5N-BMJ belonging to Ministry of Works and Transport, Taraba State Government, which occurred at Kwanan-Waya Village, Yola South Local Government Area, Adamawa State On 25th October 2012.
Another accident report released was that of Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited Sikorsky S76C++ Helicopter with registration marks 5N-BQJ, which occurred at 77 Nautical Miles offshore from Murtala Muhammed Airport on 3rd February 2016.
Also released was the accident involving a Boeing MD-83 aircraft operated by Dana Airlines Ltd. marked 5N-SRI, which occurred at Port Harcourt International Airport on 20th February, 2018.
And the accident involving a Diamond DA40D Aircraft operated by International Aviation College (IAC) Ilorin with Nationality and Registration Marks 5N-BRD, which occurred at Ilorin International Airport, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria on 25th November, 2013.
The serious incidents included the crash involving Gulfstream G200 Aircraft Operated by Nestoil PLC registered 5N-BTF, which occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on 25th January, 2018 and the incident involving an Airbus A330-223 aircraft operated by Delta Air Lines Inc. with registration number N858NW, which occurred after take-off from Runway 18R, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on 13th February, 2018.
The Commissioner/CEO, Engr. Akin Olateru while addressing journalists at the Air Safety House Headquarters of the Bureau at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos said the release of the reports was ‘in line with our promise at the inception of this administration in AIB that the outstanding occurrence reports would be cleared swiftly even as new accident investigation reports will be released without delay.’
The report on the Cessan 208B Caravan stated that the Bureau could not conclusively determine the cause of the accident but investigators identified the decision of the pilot to operate a VFR flight after sunset and inadequate oversight by the Regulatory Authority even as the pilot was not certified, qualified nor competent to fly the aircraft. AIB issued two safety recommendations on the crash that occurred on approach to landing at Yola Airport.
The AIB investigation revealed in the crash involving Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S76C++ Helicopter marked 5N-BQJ that the crew switched the Compass to “FREE” DG mode for Landing on the helideck at Erha FPSO, and did not return to the “SLAVE” mode after take-off, which caused the trim fail to cut off consistently, which in turn disengaged the autopilot as a result of the unsynchronised heading inputs.
The contributory factors were the ‘Non-adherence to Company Operations Manual (Part B checklist) as it relates to after take-off checks’ adding that the crew did not disengage the autopilot to fly the aircraft manually. Four safety recommendations were made.
The full report, including the findings, causal factors and the safety recommendations made to the NCAA and affected service providers, is available at: https://www.aib.gov.ng/publications/
