Delta Airlines incident: AIB to release report, five others April 25
Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) is set to release six final reports of accidents and incidents on the 25th of April, 2019 including the serious incident involving Delta Airlines Airbus A330-223 on the 14th of February 2018 which one of its engines caught fire causing the aircraft to return after take off.
Commissioner of the AIB, Akin Olateru who disclosed this yesterday while presenting his Keynote address at the AIB 2019 Stakeholders’ Forum with a theme to Review Accident Investigation Bureau Regulations 2016 and its implications on stakeholders.
Olateru explained that apart from the Delta airlines’ report, other final reports to be released are the Cessna 208B Caravan with registration 5N-BMJ belonging to late former governor Danbaba Suntai which happened October 25, 2012, Diamond DA40 aircraft belonging to International Aviation College ( IAC) Ilorin with registration 5N-BRD on November 25, 2013.
Also there is the 2018 Dana Runway incident in Port Harcourt Bristow helicopter Sikorsky S76C++ with registration 5N-BQJ on 3rd February of 2016, the Gulfstream 2000 belonging to NestOil with 5N-SRI in February 2018.
The AIB boss said he had sent the report of the Delta Airlines incident to the aircraft manufacturer, Airbus for the 60 day review before the release of the report and it returned from the manufacturers with ‘No Comment’ meaning a great deal of confidence is reposed in that final report.
Olateru also revealed that the bureau is in the process of signing an agreement with France so the AIB can handle investigations of French-Speaking West African countries’ incident ,” they appreciate what we are doing here, he said, “meaning we are doing something right.”
Olateru however disclosed the agency has continued to train staff in order to meet the challenges of accident investigations stressing that over S1 million dollars have been spent on training in the past one year.
He lamented that for over two years, all efforts to synergise with both the Nigeria Police and Air force has proved abortive as non of the agencies has shown any sign of seriousness.
In his welcome address, managing director of Spring Fountain, Mr. Tunde Fagbemi explained the reason the industry was most regulated stating that accidents were a series of activities that happen but were preventable.
He said, ” Aviation is the most regulated industry in the world, why do we need to regulate and it’s unfortunate but Ethiopian knows the need for regulation, Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier know why aviation needs to be regulated.
“an accident is not what needs to happen, but it is something that we need to prevent. An accident is a culmination of many little events and the most fundamental objective of AIB is safety and issuing safety recommendations for the betterment of the industry.”
