Uche Usim, Abuja and Chinelo Obogo
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), yesterday, released the final report on four air accidents/incidents, including the crash of a Caverton Helicopter conveying Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 11 other politicians in Kabba, Kogi State on February 2, 2019. No lives were lost in the mishap.
Releasing the report in a Webinar, Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of AIB, Akin Olateru, said inappropriate landing technique coupled with non-adherence to company procedures for known or anticipated brownout condition during landing were causative factors for the mishap.
He also listed lack of risk assessment, limited landing site preparation and planning prior to commencement of the flight by Caverton Helicopters and the crew additional reasons for the helicopter to have landed hard and rolled over on its right side.
Olateru also released reports on the “Serious Incident” involving Bombardier DHC-8-Q400 aircraft owned and operated by Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited with nationality and registration marks 5N-BPU, which occurred at FL240, 80 NM to Lagos on 18th April 2017.
Another report released was that another “Serious Incident” involving a Diamond DA-42 aircraft with nationality and registration mark 5N-BNH owned and operated by the International Aviation College, which occurred on Runway 23 Ilorin International Airport on 1st of May, 2019.
The final report was a Serious Incident involving a Diamond DA-40 aircraft with Nationality and Registration Marks 5N-BRM owned and operated by International Aviation College, which occurred on Runway 23, Ilorin International Airport On 27th of March, 2014.
To improve aviation safety, the AIB boss recommended that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) conducts a Safety Management System (SMS) audit of Caverton Helicopters to iron out possibly rumpled areas in the systems, processes and procedures.
“The SMS audit by the NCAA should ensure that Caverton Helicopters has implemented the Immediate Safety Recommendation 2019-003, the NCAA All Operators Letter (FSG 002), and the recommendations documented in the Caverton Helicopters internal SMS investigation of this accident”, he said.
As regards the Aero incident, the Bureau discovered l that the engine oil leaked onto a hot surface of the engine causing fumes which mixed with the engine bleed air supply to the air conditioning system, resulting in smoke in the aircraft cabin, cockpit and lavatory/ cargo compartments.
On Diamond DA-42 aircraft belonging to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) the AIB Commissioner listed inadequate crew coordination during the approach to landing phase of flight, lack of situational awareness on the position of the landing gears by the flight crew during approach to land and the inappropriate execution of approach and landing checklist as the cause of the incident.