NSIB’s accident reports indict Air Peace for operating unserviceable aircraft, SAHCo
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released final reports on the serious incident involving an Embraer EMB-145LR belonging to Air Peace.
The aircraft with nationality and registration marks 5N-BVD operated by Air Peace was involved in a serious incident at Kaduna Airport, Kaduna on January 14th, 2021
The report which was produced by the NSIB revealed that the aircraft had 53 persons made up of 49 passengers and four crew with fuel endurance of three hours before the incident occurred.
In its findings, the investigative body discovered that the aircraft which had earlier operated three sectors, started having issues while preparing for the fourth sector on ground Kaduna.
“The Electric Motor Driven Pump (EMDP) was used to power the Hydraulic System.
During taxi, the lead cabin crew informed the flight crew that there was an unusual sound from the over-wing to the aft of the aircraft.
The flight crew concluded that the sound emanated from the EMDP and continued with pre-flight activities.
“The aircraft lined up for take-off and as it accelerated towards 119 kt, the take-off was aborted, thus initiating a sequence of events that eventually led to the failure of Number 1 and Number 2 Wheel Assemblies and additional damage to the aircraft.
The incident occurred at 12:09:20 h, daytime in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC).”he causal factor according to the findings blamed the incident on the airline for operating the aircraft with an unserviceable hydraulic system leading to a high speed rejected take-off.
Among the contributory factors included the land the non leakage of Hydraulic System 1 due to a loose coupling on the hydraulic line servicing the brake control valve and the pilot’s non-adherence to Air Peace Limited guidelines on diagnosis and reporting of faults.
The NSIB, also released the final report on the Incident involving a ground collision between the Skypower Aviation Handling Company’s (SAHCo) lavatory service truck with Max Air parked Boeing 737-300 aircraft number 9/5.
The incident which happened in 2021, indicted SAHCo as a company lacking adequate workers in its operations department.
The final report also blamed the driver of the truck for failing to act professionally by not establishing communication between himself and the marshaller for the repositioning of the truck.
According to NSIB, the final report is based upon the investigation carried out by the Bureau under Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act, 2022, and Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 2023.
While the aircraft marked 5N-DAB was scheduled to operate eight sectors on the day of the incident, during the boarding of passengers for the fourth sector (Abuja to Maiduguri), the pilot requested Ground Service for the aircraft Lavatory.
The report acknowledged the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) driver was licensed, trained and qualified to perform his responsibilities as the toxicology tests carried out on him were negative.
The truck was maintained under the manufacturer’s recommendations.
According to the report; “After the incident, toxicology tests were carried out on the GSE driver, and the results were negative.
The analysis focuses on operational safety, ramp coordination and company policy adherence.
During its findings, the NSIB says: “The GSE driver was operating a conveyor belt on another aircraft when he was called to operate a lavatory service truck on 5N-DAB.
There is no evidence to suggest that another SAHCo personnel was asked to take
over the conveyor belt services.
The SAHCO Lavatory Service truck was not guided accurately when positioning to service 5N-DAB”.
According to the causal factor,while repositioning, the GSE driver of the lavatory service truck; instead of depressing the brake pedal stepped on the throttle pedal resulting in the truck impacting 5N-DAB.
In the causal factors responsible for the collision, SAHCo was seriously indicted for lacking the standard procedure for changing duties from one unfinished task to
another.
The final report revealed how abrupt stepping on the Throttle Pedal instead of the Brake Pedal by the driver caused the truck to impact the parked aircraft’s tail section.
It also revealed less than adequate ramp supervision/coordination of SAHCO’s GSE operations.
Inadequate work force in the operation of SAHCO’s handling more than one aircraft simultaneously. Non-compliance with various sections of SAHCO’s Operational and Ground Operation Manuals.
In its recommendations, NSIB advised “SAHCO to ensure adherence to the provision section 19 (1) of the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents And Incidents) Regulations 2019 regarding tampering with evidence which is now section 3.5 of the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations, 2023.
