Suntai was unqualified, uncertified to fly ill-fated Cessna 208B aircraft – AIB

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo, Lagos

The late Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba state, who flew his personal aircraft was neither type -rated on the aircraft nor had any maintenance company handling the aircraft known to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at the time of the fatal crash.

The Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Akin Olateru, who disclosed this at a media briefing while releasing six accident reports in his office in Lagos, said the late governor had less than 60 flight hours. According to Olateru, the aircraft the late governor flew before he crashed was unknown to the NCAA

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) yesterday, released the report of the Cessna 208B Caravan aircraft that cost the life of the former state governor and three other passengers, revealing he was not certified, qualified or competent to fly the aircraft.

This is just as the bureau revealed in its report that it could not conclusively determine the cause of the accident which occurred at Kwanan-Waya Village, Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa state on October 25, 2012, seven years ago

Olateru also released the final report of six air occurrences, including, the report on the accident involving a Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited Sikorsky S76C++ Helicopter with nationality and registration marks 5N-BQJ, report on the accident involving a Boeing MD-83 aircraft operated by Dana Airlines with nationality and registration marks 5N-SRI, report on the serious incident involving an Airbus A330-223 aircraft operated by Delta Air Lines with nationality and registration marks N858NW.

Others are the report on the accident involving a Cessna 208B Caravan with nationality and registration marks 5N-BMJ belonging to the Ministry of Works and Transport of Taraba state, report on the accident involving a Diamond DA40D aircraft operated by International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, with nationality and registration marks 5N-BRD and the report on the serious incident involving Gulfstream G200 aircraft operated by Nestoil Plc.

According to the final report released on the Cessna 208B Caravan with registration marks 5N-BMJ belonging to the Taraba state government and flown by the late governor, Suntai was qualified to fly a Cessna 172, but on the day of the unfortunate accident he commandeered a Cessna Caravan 208B.

The AIB also identified the decision of the pilot to operate a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight after sunset when he was not type- rated on such operations as well as inadequate oversight by the regulatory authority as contributory causal factors.

Also, bureau added that the pilot does not have instrument ratings and night flight privileges and reported an incorrect estimated time of arrival (ETA at Yola as 10:01 UTC as against the time 17:19 UTC.

“He also reported the number of persons on board as 06 to the control tower as against 04 actual persons found after the accident,” it added.

The AIB in its safety recommendations called on the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to take appropriate action to relocate the existing control tower at Yola Airport in order to enhance the aerial view of the approach path of runway 35 from the tower.

The bureau also advised NCAA to ensure all pertinent regulations with regards to the operations of aircraft and certification of all relevant personnel and facilities of the Ministry of Works and Transport of Taraba state are appropriately complied with.