Guardian

As Bureau Releases 32 Air Accident Reports

IN what may be described as bowing to pressure, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) Saturday officially released to the public over 20 aircraft accident reports.

The reports, posted on the AIB website, www.aib.gov.ng, include the October 22, 2005 mishap of Bellview Airlines Flight 210 in Lisa, Ogun State, which killed all 117 passengers on board.

Among the others are the AIB interim report on Beechcraft 1900D accident at Bushi Village in Obanlinku Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria on March 15, 2008; and report on the accident involving Boeing 737 aircraft registered 5N-AUA that crashed at the new Kaduna Airport on November 13, 1995.

The rest are the 2008 Nigeria Police Force’s Bell 412 helicopter; the September 7 accident involving DHL, registered ZS-DPF, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos; and report on the accident involving TAMPICO Club 9 Aircraft, Reg. 5N-CBF at Zaria, Kaduna State, on October 10, 2006.

The AIB had concluded its investigations on the air calamities and came up with the reports, but successive Ministers of Aviation had failed to make the reports public.

This led to speculations and insinuations that the accidents, particularly that of Bellview, were as a result of sabotage, and the likelihood that the Bellview airplane might have been bombed.

The AIB, based at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, carried out the investigations in accordance with Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act 2006, and Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations.

Hence, it stated that in accordance with Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, it is not the purpose of aircraft accident/serious incident investigations to apportion blame or liability.

It advised readers that the AIB investigates for the sole purpose of enhancing aviation safety, and consequently, “its reports are confined to matters of safety significance and should not be used for any other purpose.”

It added that, “recommendations in this report are addressed to the regulatory Authorities of the state (NCAA),” and “it is for this authority to decide what action is taken.”

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