The Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N), today (Thursday) released four accident reports including that of Quorum helicopter crash, the only fatal accident in the country in the last five years.
The agency, besides the four reports also released a Safety Bulletin at a press conference held at her Abuja Corporate Headquarters.
The fatal accident, which involved Quorum Aviation Limited Bell 206B3 Helicopter with registration 5N-BQW, occurred at Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos State on 28th August 2020.
Addressing the media, AIB-N Commissioner, Engr. Akin Olateru, disclosed that the causal factor of the accident was due to fuel exhaustion at low altitude and low speed leading to loss of control in flight.
He added that the pilot’s decision to continue the flight towards the intended destination with insufficient fuel instead of landing as soon as practicable in line with section 12.12 of Quorum Aviation Limited Operations Manual Part A, was part of the contributing factor that led to the fatal accident.
Other contributory factor, according to the Commissioner, was the lack of effective management supervision of the airline’s flight operations and inadequate safety oversight of Quorum Aviation Limited
Three Safety Recommendations were, therefore, addressed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the airline in the report.
In the other three reports and one Safety Bulletin released, the Bureau addressed a total of nine Safety Recommendations to the NCAA, the affected airlines, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), among others.
The released reports included the report on an accident involving Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Limited Air Tractor AT-401B Aircraft with registration 5N-BTV, which occurred at Rukubi Village 90 NM South-East of Abuja on the 4th October 2018.
The Bureau also released the report on the serious incident involving Nigeria Police Airwing Bell 429 Helicopter with registration 5N-MDA which occurred at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja on the 3rd August,2019.
Also released was the report on the serious incident involving Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Limited Cessna 172 Aircraft with registration 5N-APE at Bini Village, Niger State on 19th November,2019.
The Bureau also released one Safety Bulletin-Report on the ground collision involving a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Truck with registration AKD765FK and Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Bell 412 Helicopter with registration NAF 600 which occurred at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja on 15th June,2020.
Olateru stated that the new released reports make a total of 53 reports released by his administration at AIB, adding that 72 reports have been released since the establishment of the Bureau in 2007.
He further added that the Bureau has, so far, released a total of 232 Safety Recommendations since 2007, 151 of which were released by his administration from 2017 till date.
This, he said, is in line with fulfilling the Bureau’s mandate of investigating aircraft accidents and serious incidents with a view to enhancing air safety in Nigeria.
“The Bureau is very conscious of her critical role in assuring a robust aviation safety in the country and globally even as it has resolved to pursue this with all vigour,” Olateru said.
The Commissioner who appreciated the Hon. Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika for his unrelenting support for the Bureau, said “We have the men and the equipment backed with government support to ensure that AIB-N plays her role effectively and purposefully.”
“Details of all the reports, which include the factual information, findings, analysis, conclusions and safety recommendations on the investigations are available on the Bureau’s website, (www.aib.gov.ng)”, he concluded.
▪︎ By Tunji Oketunbi, General Manager, Public Affairs, Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria