By Kelvin Osa Okunbor
Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB-N) on Thursday released three final reports on the accidents involving aircraft belonging to SkyBird Airlines, Kabo Air, and Aero Contractors Airlines.
Besides the final accident report involving the airlines, the AIB -N also issued two safety bulletins with 16 recommendations that will assist in preventing similar accidents and incidents in the Nigerian airspace.
Speaking at a virtual briefing in Abuja, its Chief Executive Officer / Commissioner, Engineer Akin Olateru, said the three final reports bring to 59, accidents reports released by the bureau since its inception 13 years ago.
The AIB-N, Olateru said, has released 211 safety recommendations since inception with 127 issued under his watch as helmsman of the bureau.
The Bureau released reports on the serious incident involving a Gulfstream G-IV aircraft owned and operated by Skybird Air Ltd with registration marks 5N-BOD, which occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on 12th September 2018.
It also released the final 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 4th October 2013.
AIB also released 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 9th April 2016.
These reports are coming three weeks after the Bureau released four accident reports.
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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 10th December 2013 and 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 18th June 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.
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 enhanced positive working relationships 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.
