NSIB Wants NCAA To Ensure NAMA Complies With NCARs On VFR Flights Arrival

Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says “Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should ensure that Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) always verifies that all VFR flights arrive at their destinations within the operational duty hours of the destination airport as per the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs 2015).”

This is one of the recommendations from the Final Report on the Accident Involving a Bell 429 Helicopter operated by Nigeria Police Air Wing with Nationality and Registration marks 5N-MDA, which occurred at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Airport Bauchi, Nigeria on 26 January 2022.

This Bell 429 helicopter crash report was one of the seven air accidents and incidents reports released today by the NSIB in Abuja. They are reports that have occurred between November 17, 2021 and July 10, 2023.

Other recommendations in the Bell 429 helicopter crash report are that “Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should ensure that the Nigerian Police Air Wing (NPAW) adheres strictly to the provisions of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs 2015) subpart 8.6 on Flight Planning and Supervision” and “Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should ensure that the Nigerian Police Air Wing (NPAW) ensures its flight crew takes cognisance of and adheres strictly to the operating hours of the destination and alternate airfields before flights commence.”

NSIB also recommends that “Nigerian Police Air Wing (NPAW) should ensure its flight crews are cognizant of and adhere strictly to the operating hours of destination and alternate airfields before flights commence.” It adds that “Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should ensure that the PMI/POI attached to NPAW increase their oversight functions on the Air Wing in matters relating to PNCF renewal and all other safety-related issues per Nig.CARs.”

Causal factor of this Bell 429 Helicopter accident was “the decision to operate the flight outside the operation hours of Bauchi Airport after sunset” and contributory factors were that “Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) safety oversight on NPAW was inadequate, the decision to embark on the flight without adequate dispatch preparation and the inability of Abuja ATC to advise the 5N-MDA crew accordingly before departure.

Findings from the investigation were that “5N-MDA had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness at the time of the occurrence. There was no load sheet document in the flight dispatch folder. Bell 429 was not included in the NPAW Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO). NPAW does not have approved operations specifications (OPSPECS). 5N-MDA lifted off at 17:54 h from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (DNAA) Abuja on a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan. The crew could not establish contact with DNJO Tower and the flight continued. The crew could not establish two-way radio communication with DNBC Tower until after the crash. BCH’ VOR/DME BCEP 115.6 MHZ was unserviceable on the day of the occurrence. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Airport (DNBC) Bauchi was closed at the time of arrival of 5N-MDA.

On the first attempt to land, the crew initially had visual contact with the runway centreline but lost it afterwards due to darkness. The crew executed two Go-Around and 5N-MDA crashed on the third landing attempt. The 5N-MDA main rotor blade impacted the top of a tree, which caused the tail rotor blades to cut the tree trunk. The helicopter Tail Boom sheared off during the third landing attempt.

At the time of arrival of 5N-MDA, Bauchi airport was closed. The Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) issued to the Nigeria Police Air Wing (NPAW) expired in September 2017 and was not reissued or renewed.  The Pilot Flying (PF) was licensed, certified, and appropriately type-rated as Part 2 on a B429 helicopter. The crew of 5N-MDA did not amend their flight plan to transition to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), which would have enabled them to return to DNAA.

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) insufficient surveillance of NPAW’s flight operations concerning the adherence to meeting permits for non-commercial operations and crew qualification/competency requirements. Investigation observed that the NCAA oversight of NPAW was inadequate. NPAW did not file for an extension of operational hours at DNBC. DNAA Air Traffic Control (ATC) did not confirm if an extension had been granted for 5N-MDA. Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) were not installed on 5N-MDA as required. The investigation identified that NPAW had only one dispatcher. NPAW had no means of communication and monitoring equipment for the dispatch unit to track flights. The investigation identified that NPAW does not usually involve the dispatch in flight preparation.”

On the crashed Sikorsky S76c+ Helicopter belonging to Eastwind Aviation, an helicopter with the registration number: 5N-BQG, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean Southeast of Eket, Bight of Bonny on 24 October 2024 with eight souls onboard, preliminary report released by NSIB says the helicopter was not fitted with the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), against the requirement of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2023, which stipulates that the equipment must be installed with the facility.

It equally states that helicopter Radio Altimeter (Rad alt) was snagged and deferred on October 18, 2024, six days before the accident and that only five out of the eight persons onboard at the time of the crash had been recovered, while three others, including one flight crew, were still missing.

According to the preliminary report, no dew point data was reported in the weather information passed to the crew by the required agency and the the flight crew used “non-standard phraseology” throughout the flight. There were no standard callouts for the various phases of the flight.

NSIB was notified of the occurrence by the operator, Eastwind Aviation Logistics Services Limited on the same day of the crash, while its investigators were dispatched to the site of the crash the next day for post-occurrence assessment. The helicopter was on a drop-off and pick-up operation of oil workers to Nuim Antan, a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility located near the Bight of Bonny in the Atlantic Ocean.

At 10:40hr, the aircraft requested start-up clearance from Port Harcourt Military Ground Control for departure to Nuim Antan to maintain 1,500ft with eight persons, including two flight crew on board, with a fuel endurance of two hours and fifteen minutes.

“Start-up clearance was granted, which was acknowledged by the flight crew of 5N-BQG. The Captain was the Pilot Flying (PF), and the First Officer was the Pilot Monitoring (PM). At 10:43hr, 5N-BQG requested runway 22 Arik link from the tower and was instructed to hold short runway 22,” according to the report.

“At 10:45hr, the Duty Air Traffic Control Officer (DATCO) issued take-off clearance to 5NBQG for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) as follows: 5N-BQG in position cleared Port Harcourt Military to Alakri for Nuim Antan 1500ft on QNH 1012. Surface wind reported variable 02 knots, runway 22 clear lift.”

“At 10:47hr, 5N-BQG was airborne and gave estimates to Alakri at 10:52hr and Nuim Antan at 11:32hr, which the DATCO acknowledged. At 10:52hr, 5N-BQG reported checking the Alakri control zone boundary out and two-way communication with Airworks, to which the DATCO requested the flight crew report rejoining.”

5N-BQG had crashed into the ocean, and all its eight occupants were fatally injured. The report stated that the accident occurred at 11:25hr in daylight.

NSIB also released final report on the serious incident involving Embraer 145LR aircraft operated by United Nigeria with the registration number: 5N-BWW, which occurred at about 4000ft climbing out of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on November 17, 2021; final report on the ground collision incident involving an EMB-135BJ aircraft operated by Max Air with the registration number: 5N-BXK and a parked ATR 42 aircraft operated by Nigerian Air Force registered NAF 930, which occurred on the apron of the General Aviation Terminal of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria on April 26, 2022 and final report on the serious incident involving Beech Baron 58 aircraft operated by Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria with the registration number: 5N-CAG, which occurred on runway 05 at General Hassan Usman Katsina international Airport, Kaduna on December 31, 2022.

Others released were the final report on ground collision between a conveyor belt TUG660 truck with fleet number 49/9 operated by Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc and a parked Boeing 737-800 aircraft with the registration number: 5N-MJQ owned and operated by Arik Air, which occurred at Abuja airport on February 3, 2022; the final report on the serious incident involving a Hawker 800XP aircraft operated by Aero Tak with the registration number: 5N-JEF, which occurred at the same Abuja airport on July 10, 2023 and the final report on the serious incident involving Embraer 145LR aircraft operated by United Nigeria Airlines with the registration number: 5N-BWW, which occurred at about 4000ft climbing out of Abuja airport on November 17, 2021.