Safety Breach: K1, pilots’, Emmanson conducts expose Nigeria’s aviation soft underbelly

At a time Nigeria is making an upward trajectory in aviation in terms of policy direction, the loss of sanity by the musician, ValueJet pilots and assault by Comfort Emmanson on Ibom Air’s cabin crew could erode the gains made in the last two years if the matter is swept under the carpet. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is watching. The world is watching, writes WOLE SHADARE

The incident involving popular musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, also known as KWAM 1, ValueJet, and the airline’s crew has been widely discussed on various platforms.

The viral video footage of the gory incident has again brought to the fore not only security issues at Nigerian airports, but it underscores VIP disdain for aviation safety protocols, how poorly trained people around the aviation sector are pushed into a sector that is highly regulated, and it also exposes the underbelly of a sensitive industry like aviation.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issued a statement late Tuesday night announcing the suspension of the Pilot In Command (PIC), Capt. Oluranti Ogoyi and her co-pilot, Ivan Aloba, for breaching safety protocol at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

While that is yet to die down, the nation was again treated to another round of embarrassment when a passenger identified as Comfort Emmanson reportedly assaulted an Ibom Air cabin crew member, and the events that transpired equally confirmed the growing cases of passengers’ unruliness at the country’s airports.

Emmansion had been charged to court and remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of her bail conditions.

Aside from that, airline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) equally placed on flight ban for life; a decision that elicited outrage by Nigerians because the group has no power to place an individual on flight ban because of a case of assault but the aviation regulatory body, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) without infringing on the constitutional right of freedom of movement as enshrined in the country’s constitution.

While the law is expected to take its course on Emmanson, the popular Fuji musician was given a slap on the wrist for a more grievous offence than that of the lady; a situation that many Nigerians have condemned and further exposes the nation’s selective selective justice system and further exposes the hypocrisy of AON for keeping mute or its inaction in the case of K1.

The airline operators are yet to take action to place K1 on the life flight ban list, but were quick to show how pained they were with an assault on Ibom Air’s crew member by an irate passenger in what many have tagged a show of shame.

Not a few believe that the manner K1’s saga was handled could embolden more people to resort to self and take the law into their hands. It also calls for the proper training of aviation security personnel at the country’s airports.

Obstruction

Coming back to the K1 saga, it initially was not clear why the licenses of the two pilots of ValueJet were suspended. The next day, the picture got clearer that KWAM 1, who many people felt with his exposure should have known better rules guiding flight operations and facilitation was found in a messy and despicable situation where he attempted to stop a ValueJet aircraft already set for take-off.

He was nearly crushed by one of the wings of the airplane as he docked to save himself from death that stared him in the face.

Giving a vivid account of what transpired, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Obiageli Orah, stated that preliminary investigations confirmed that the passenger was scheduled to board the morning flight to Lagos operated by ValueJet Airlines (Flight VK 201), adding that during boarding, the passenger attempted to carry an unidentified liquid substance on board despite repeated warnings from Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel and the flight captain.

Violation of rules

By international aviation security standards—specifically, Nigeria’s National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) and ICAO Annexe 17—liquids exceeding 100ml are not permitted through security screening unless medically necessary and properly declared.

The passenger, according to her, was informed of this regulation but reportedly declined to comply.

Orah said, “As boarding continued, an airline security officer asked the passenger to step aside for further clarification. The passenger allegedly refused and spilt the contents of the flask on the officer, which turned out to be alcohol. The Flight Captain intervened but faced similar resistance. After confirming that boarding was complete, she instructed the closure of the aircraft door.”

“At this juncture, the passenger moved to the front of the aircraft and refused to leave the area despite repeated requests. He was ultimately escorted away by the AVSEC crime unit for further investigation, after which he was released.”

Orah reiterated FAAN’s unwavering commitment to the safety and security of all passengers, crew, and airport personnel, stressing that the authority will not tolerate any actions that compromise operational integrity or undermine aviation safety standards, regardless of the individuals involved.

Ministerial directive

Not initially satisfied with the manner NCAA handled the matter by only suspending the licenses of the flight crew, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, applied far-reaching measures against the musician.

Keyamo who described the incident as “‘loss of sanity’ and acknowledged that both the pilots and musician went overboard for violating safety procedure directed the aviation regulatory body to place KWAM 1 on a no-fly list pending further and full investigation, just like the Captain and pilot, stressing that all airlines, both domestic and International, should immediately be informed of this directive, and anyone who flouts this directive risks withdrawal of their operating licence”.

“This is unacceptable behaviour. The issue of whether he was carrying water or alcohol is not even in issue at this point. It is the physical blockage of the aircraft from taxiing that constitutes reprehensible conduct, akin to a hostage situation. The actual video footage showing this recalcitrant behaviour is hereby attached”.

“On the other hand, no amount of provocation should make the Captain and Pilot of an aircraft begin to taxi without ensuring that the security personnel have safely moved an unruly passenger away who is standing in front of an aircraft,” the Minister said.

Planned prosecution

The NCAA went further by asking the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute KAWM 1.

Spokesman for NCAA, Michael Achimugu, told journalists that full details of the incident are still being compiled, adding that the NCAA has emphasised the importance of upholding aviation safety standards and ensuring accountability, regardless of the parties involved.

The actions of the NCAA and Keyamo may have helped to calm frayed nerves, but not a few believe that both the musician and pilots should be severely punished for bringing the aviation industry in Nigeria to opprobrium.

Nigeria is a member state of ICAO, the highest aviation regulatory body and cannot be seen to be violating the body of rules that govern global aviation. There is a clear case of the breach of ICAO Annex 17 of the Chicago Convention.

The convention is a crucial document within the framework. It outlines Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) focused on safeguarding international air transport against acts of unlawful interference. This includes protecting passengers, crew, ground personnel, and the general public.

It covers a wide range of security aspects, including passenger and baggage screening, access control, security training, aircraft protection, and incident response.

Experts’ views

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), the umbrella body for pilots and aircraft engineers, in their submission on the WhatsApp group platform, admitted that the pilots were unprofessional in their conduct by violating rules of engagement in the handling of their job.

Another pilot who pleaded anonymity said, “The good news from a professional point of view so far is that ever since this happened, my fellow pilot colleagues have debated this incident extensively. I will make the following comments.”

He noted that not a single pilot has supported or justified what she did based on a passenger’s provocation. This includes several female pilots as well, so it cuts across both genders. As a PIC (Pilot in Command), you are the last line of defence in unusual situations like this, and as such, an unwritten prerequisite of your role as PIC is to be able to take insult from irate and unruly passengers without losing your cool.”

In developed countries in the West, de-escalation and conflict management play a significant role in the training of cabin crew, check-in staff, and ramp agents. We pilots receive the same training under CRM (Crew resource management), although not as much as the others I mentioned above, as they come in contact with passengers more than us”.

He noted that a marshaller will never allow a plane to taxi without the area around the aircraft being free of people and ground equipment.

“In this situation, I don’t think she got the all clear from a marshaller because of the commotion around the aircraft. K1 was lucky as the aircraft had pylon-mounted engines. If it had been a wing-mounted engine aircraft like the 737/320/E jet, he could have been sucked into the engine. It will be a different story.”

“In most Western countries, the following will certainly happen. She will be fired by the company, and the authorities will revoke her license and send her for psychiatric evaluation. In stricter places like Emirates, Qatar and Middle East airlines, the copilot and any other pilot in the cockpit with her will be fired as well.

“This is because, as far as they are concerned, they are equally a line of defence. K1 will also spend some time in prison and will be banned by a lot of airlines and, in America, he will end up on the no-fly list.  This is a case of all the holes in the proverbial cheese lining up perfectly”.

“She has also potentially destroyed her chances of getting a job in some airlines outside this country. Some airlines outside conduct extensive background checks on potential employees. A simple Google search of her name will bring up this incident.”

Last line

There is plenty of blame to go around. The world governing body, ICAO, is listening, and Nigeria could be decategorized if appropriate sanctions are not meted out to all the guilty parties.

Wole Shadare