2016: Second Safest Year In Aviation History, Best For Nigeria

 

As Mainstream Media Revels In Reporting Deadly Plane Crashes And Hijackings, Little Or Nothing Is Done In Cases Of Safe Flights, Even As Nigeria Recorded 2016 As Her Safest Year In Aviation History, WOLE SHADARE Reports

 

There were relatively a small number of air accidents last year – a testament to the stringent safety standards now in place around the world.

Led only by 2013, which experienced only 265 deaths out of the three billion people who boarded planes, this most recent year ended with 325 deaths in total, which is about one in every 10,769,230 travellers.

Though it will come as no consolation to the friends and families of those who perished, 2016 has been one of the safest years in aviation history.

Airlines

 

Among 2016’s other high-profile tragedies was EgyptAir Flight 804 from Paris to Cairo, which disappeared in the Mediterranean in May, killing all 66 on board, and Flydubai Flight 981, which crashed after an aborted landing in Russia with the loss of 62 lives. According to Aviation Safety Network (ASN), which keeps a database of all air travel incidents, 2016 was the second safest year on record.

There were 19 fatal accidents last year, resulting in 325 deaths – down from 560 in 2015. Given that last year saw around 3.5 billion air passengers flown, that’s just one death per 10,769,230 travellers.

Two of these 19 accidents were on flights operated by airlines on the EU “black list.” Only one year saw fewer deaths – 2013 with 265.

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But with 3.048 billion boarding a plane that year, according to the World Bank data, this amounts to a very similar number of deaths per passenger: one per 11,501,886. With a string of disasters involving Malaysia Airlines (two crashes and 537 deaths), AirAsia (162 deaths), Air Algerie (116), TransAsia Airways (48) and Sepahan Airlines (39), surely 2014 must be a contender for the worst year?

The total for 2014 of 990 deaths was the highest for a decade, but some way off the record. It should also be noted that there were only 21 fatal accidents that year, the lowest on record until 2015. When one discounts hijackings and sabotage, 2015 was actually the safest year on record.

The crashes of a Germanwings A320 in March 2015, deliberately caused by co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, and a Metrojet A321 in October, due to a suspected bomb, accounted for the majority of last year’s fatalities.

Back home, last year was a very wonderful year for Nigeria’s aviation industry for not recording any air crash.Although accidents do happen even when the right things are done, but last year was so good for the nation in terms of aviation safety.

The usual serious incidents that usually happen on aprons and other places did not occur. It was a year that Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), the agency saddled with accident investigations, had all the time to focus on investigation of previous accidents without adding more burdens to the agency.

Aside the Bristow Helicopter accident, which claimed no life, Nigeria seems to have got its safety oversight well running. Eleven persons escaped death after a Bristow 5B BJQ Helicopter enroute Lagos from an offshore location in Port Harcourt ditched inside the Lagos lagoon.

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The helicopter was carrying nine passengers and two crew members on board when the incident happened. It happened 70 Nautical Miles off Lagos.

They were returning from their off-shore location called ERA. Nine passengers and two crew on board were all rescued alive. A S76 C++ helicopter marked 5N-BQJ belonging to Bristow Helicopters, which departed ERHA Platform enroute Lagos was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles into destination at about 10:20am local time.

However, Nigeria had had its fair share of accidents when on July 1991, 261 people died after a McDonnell-Douglas DC-8 aircraft flying hajj pilgrims to Sokoto on behalf of Nigeria Airways, crashed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the worst accident in the history of commercial aviation in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Airways flight took off from Jeddah runway but shortly after take-off, at 2000- 3000 feet, problems with the cabin pressure were reported. It was the worst accident involving a DC-8 and the second worst accident in Saudi Arabia at the time.

The root cause of the flight was blamed on human errors at the Nigerian aviation system. On June 3, 2012, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 passenger plane, 5N-RAM, operated by Dana Air, was destroyed when it crashed into a residential area of Lagos, Nigeria.

All 146 passengers and seven crew members were killed. At least, six victims were found inside the buildings that were hit by the plane. It is currently the third worst accident involving a MD-80. Last year also saw the fewest number of fatal crashes involving passenger aircraft – just seven.

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There were 11 in 2016. The general trend, however – that air travel has never been safer – is easy to see. President of ASN, Harro Ranter, said: “Since 1997, the average number of airliner accidents has shown a steady and persistent decline, thanks to the continuing efforts of international aviation organisations such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Flight Safety Foundation and the aviation industry.

Deadliest year

For the worst period, one must go back to 1972, which saw a remarkable 2,370 deaths and 72 fatal accidents. There were 11 crashes that saw at least 100 perish, including four Aeroflot flights, and others involving Iberia, Sterling Airways, Alitalia, British European Airways, Interflug, Spantax and Eastern Air Lines. Fearful fliers should be grateful the seventies are over.

The following year, 1973, was the second deadliest on record with 69 fatal crashes and 2,028 deaths. The carriers involved in the biggest disasters that year included Royal Jordanian, Libya Arab Airlines, Invicta International Airlines, Varig and Pan Am. And, of course, Aeroflot, which had a staggering 17 crashes that year.

Wole Shadare