Runway safety: FAAN obeys AIB’s safety recommendations

In what appears to be a compliance with the safety recommendations made by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said it had carried out a de-rubberization exercise of the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport.

Spokeswoman for FAAN, Mrs Yakubu Henrietta, told New Telegraph that the exercise was carried out between June 15 and 22, 2019 to remove any contaminant.

The Commissioner of AIB, Akin Olateru, had, at the ASRTI Business Breakfast Meeting held last Thursday, said that the bureau had issued safety recommendations requesting that FAAN de-rubberizes the Port Harcourt Airport runway and some other runways of airports in the country.

He explained that each time an aircraft lands after a heavy rain, a part of the tyre gets stuck sometimes on a rubber runway, creating layers that subsequently builds up into a safety problem.
“So, the runway should be de-ruberized on time,” he said.

Another AIB recommendation, according to him, was that FAAN should install quality control at the General Aviation Terminal of Lagos airport.
Besides, Yakubu stated: “As a short term measure to increase the safety of the Port Harcourt runway, the Authority just commenced an intensive re-assessment of runways at the nation’s airports.

This move is aimed at improving on the efficiency of the facilities, thereby forestalling potential accidents on the runways.

“Although, the regular friction measurement for Port Harcourt International Airport was conducted in March 2019 and the result falls within the minimum friction coefficient level, the facility witnessed a skidding incident recently.

“It is therefore with the intention to increase the friction coefficient levels of our runways in accordance with NCAA advisory circular that the Authority is embarking on this exercise across the nation’s airports as the rain is becoming very heavy and unpredictable.”

Former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) said: “If the runway surface had been maintained according to the periodic maintenance programmes and in compliant with the safety recommendations, could the cause of recent incident be aquaplaning?

“If so, NAMA would need to be conducting runway inspection at Port Harcourt each time it rains before clearing aircraft to land. AIB may have to be looking at the direction of aquaplaning in the investigation of the latest incident.”

Already, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it had implemented 29 out of 37 safety recommendations issued to the authority by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB). The recommendations emanated from investigation of various investigations conducted into past air accidents.

AIB after releasing final report of accident usually issues safety recommendations to various stakeholders including the NCAA with a view to preventing recurrence of such accident or incident.
Director General of NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, disclosed that on receipt of the draft reports on serious incidents and accidents from the Bureau, the team reviewed the report in order to enhance its value, determine the necessity (whether to or not) to implement the safety recommendation and where required, develop safety actions to appropriately address the safety recommendations.
He assured that NCAA was willing and ready to corporate and continuously improve the existing partnership with the Bureau to ensure safe skies within Nigeria.

He also stated that NCAA’s response was forwarded to the director general for amendments and acceptability and thereafter to the Bureau. Several Final Reports issued by the AIB contain these safety actions by the NCAA.

Olateru, during the release of six accident reports penultimate week, alleged that Usman was economical with the truth as he showed members of NCAA that met in its last meeting a few months ago.

The meetings he said produced a report detailing actions that led to the attainment of 61 per cent of the recommendations that were fully implemented.
It would be recalled that in the last quarter of 2014, the then Minister of Aviation set up a Ministerial Committee on Nigerian Aviation Industry Aircraft Accident Reports Status (NAIAARS) with the Terms of Reference amongst, which are to collate all Nigerian aviation in.

Google+

Wole Shadare