AIB sets to release VP crash report, others

• Bureau attains 85% implementation rate

Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Akin Olateru has disclosed that the agency is at the verge of releasing ten final reports in the next 90 days.

Among the reports are those involving Vice-President Osinbajo’s helicopter crash which occurred few months ago and others that occurred over 12 years ago which reports are yet to be made public.

The Bureau is set to release reports of some current accidents and others that have been pending since 2008, barely a year after the organisation was established.

This is just as the AIB, has attained up to 85 per cent implementation of safety recommendations issued to airlines and other agencies.

Olateru, an aircraft engineer spoke to Woleshadarenews also revealed that some of the final reports have been on the shelf since inception stating that recommendations from the investigation reports will enhance industry safety.

He said,” in the next 90 days we will be releasing final reports of accidents in the last 12 years. We have the vice president’s helicopter crash, Kabo, Chanchangi and some others. We have a 737-200 in 2008. We have concluded investigation on the accidents.

” Some of these reports have gone to stakeholders for the 60 day review while others will be going for the stakeholders’ review.

On implementation of safety recommendations, Engineer Olateru said the AIB has achieved 85%implementation with the cooperation of both the NIgeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and airlines.

According to the commissioner, with NCAA’s support and airlines’ compliance the recommendations that have been implemented are over 85 per cent.

” Airlines are wise because they know the effect of non-compliance of these safety recommendations. It’s a win-win situation for everyone and the industry at large will benefit.

“If you issue a safety recommendation and it is not implemented then the recommendation has not served it’s purpose. In truth, if recommendations are not implemented airlines suffer, the public suffers but it helps the win-win situation and ensure their is confidence to fly,” Olateru said.

Olateru also said that release of investigation reports should be timely, suggesting that reports should not exceed 18months if the situation can be helped.

In its preliminary report released early 2019, AIB had attributed the crash landing of an Agusta Westland W 139 aircraft operated by Caverton Helicopters conveying Vice President Osinbajo, to a brown out generated during its landing in a dry dusty environment.

Brown out in aviation parlance means a condition generated during landing in a sandy, dusty environment.

The helicopter was conveying Osinbajo and his entourage to Kabba in Kogi State a fortnight ago when the incident occurred.

Olateru said the agency has issued two safety recommendations to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the operator; Caverton Helicopters Limited.

He said NCAA should issue advisory circular to helicopter operators on the effects of brown out and how to mitigate its effects.

The second safety recommendation, Olateru said is for Caverton Helicopters to carry out proper risk analysis and assessment before operating flights into unapproved landing pad.

He stated that investigation is ongoing and that the final report on the accident will be released by the agency in coming months.

According to AIB preliminary report, the helicopter experienced a hard landing on the right main landing gear and rolled over to the right after another helicopter with advanced party of the Vice-President  raised huge dust after landing which blurred the vision of the crew ferrying Osinbajo and his team.

The Captain immediately shut the engines while the Co-Pilot shut off the fuel. The flight crew could remember executing the emergency landing procedures, which included switching off fuel, battery and generators.

But for the experience of the crew which shut fuel off and switched off battery and generator, the airplane would have been engulfed in fire on landing. That would have been disastrous for the occupants of the ill-fated aircraft.

Weather was ruled out as the cause of the accident which contradicted the  position of the Managing Director of Caverton Helicopters, Capt. Josiah Choms who disclosed same day of the accident that the crash was caused by ‘bad weather’.