AIB Releases 232 Safety Recommendations, Three On Quorum Aviation

The Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N), Engr. Akin Olateru says the Bureau has released a total of 232 Safety Recommendations since inception in 2007 with 151 of the recommendations released by his administration.
Olateru who stated this at AIB headquarters in Abuja while releasing four final accident reports and one safety bulletin also issued three safety recommendations on the accident involving Quorum Aviation Limited Bell 206B3 Helicopter with registration 5N-BQW which occurred at Opebi, Lagos State on August 28th, 2020.
“The reports we are releasing today cover the period between 2018 and 2020. While two are classified as accidents, two are serious incidents and one safety bulletin. It is however, important to note that investigation of aircraft accidents or incidents entail the same procedure and processes, all geared towards the same destination – air safety.
Unfortunately, one of the accident reports being released today had 3 fatalities. May their souls rest in Peace.
The newly released reports make a total of 72 accident reports released by the Bureau since its establishment in 2007 and a total of 53 reports released since the inception of this administration.
The five reports of today contain a total of twelve safety recommendations, which are addressed to the regulatory body, the affected airlines, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) among others,” Olateru said.
The three safety recommendations on Quorum Aviation Limited Bell 206B3 Helicopter accident were that “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority should ensure that Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders who wish to combine flight duties with multiple post holder positions provide NCAA with comprehensive safety risk mitigation measures to ensure that safe operations can be achieved” and that “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority should focus its safety oversight to ensure that the Quorum Aviation Limited takes steps to prevent further violation of its approved operating procedures and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.”
The report also recommended that “Quorum Aviation Limited should ensure that all its personnel are well acquainted with their respective schedules of responsibilities and capable of discharging their duties effectively in accordance with the company’s Approved Standard Operating Procedures.”
Causal factor of the accident was “fuel exhaustion at low altitude and low speed leading to loss of control in flight” while contributory factors were the decision to continue the flight towards the intended destination with insufficient fuel instead of landing as soon as practicable in line with section 12.12 of Quorum Aviation Limited Operations Manual Part A; lack of effective management supervision of the airline’s flight operations and inadequate safety oversight of Quorum Aviation Limited.
The other three reports released were on the accident involving Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Limited Air Tractor AT-401B Aircraft with registration 5N-BTV which occurred at Rukubi Village 90 NM South-East of Abuja on the 4th October 2018, the serious incident involving Nigeria Police Airwing Bell 429 Helicopter with registration 5N-MDA which occurred at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja on the 3rd August, 2019 and the serious incident involving Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Limited Cessna 172 Aircraft with registration 5N-APE at Bini Village, Niger State on 19th November, 2019.
The Bulletin released was a report on the ground collision involving a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Truck with registration AKD765FK and Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Bell 412 Helicopter with registration NAF 600 which occurred at NnamdiAzikwe International Airport, Abuja on 15th June, 2020.
Causal factor of the accident involving Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Limited Air Tractor AT-401B Aircraft with registration 5N-BTV was “an undetermined engine failure at low altitude that necessitated the execution of emergency forced-landing on a farmland” and no safety recommendation was made.
Causal factor for the serious incident involving Nigeria Police Airwing Bell 429 Helicopter with registration 5N-MDA was the lack of communication to update the crew on the current serviceability status of the ground handling wheel prior to arrival at DANA and contributory factor was the decision to hover-taxi to reposition the helicopter to the ramp without guidance.
Two safety recommendations were issued on this accident. They are that “Nigeria Police Airwing should develop a proper communication procedure for departing and arriving aircraft for information dissemination where necessary” and that “Nigeria Police Airwing should adhere to all relevant provisions of Nig. CARs.”
Causal factor responsible for the serious incident involving Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Limited Cessna 172 Aircraft with registration 5N-APE was that “the engine oil seal at the top of the push rod shifted, creating a clearance through which the oil escaped from the engine. This resulted to low oil quantity and high oil temperature indications and subsequently a drop in engine rpm.”
Two safety recommendations were issued in this report. They are that “the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority should ensure that holders of Aerial Work Certificate carry out their activities in accordance with Nig. CARs Part 11 (Aerial Work), including strict compliance with the terms and conditions specified in the Aerial Work Certificate Operations Specifications” and that “the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority should consider having a separate Operations Specifications for scientific evaluation of aerial work such as Radiometric and Geochemistry Aerial Survey which are not mapping and photography as specified in the current Operations Specifications.”
Causal factor responsible for the ground collision involving a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Truck with registration AKD765FK and Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Bell 412 Helicopter with registration NAF 600 is “the driver’s misjudgment of the clearance between the truck and the helicopter main rotor blades” and contributory factors are that “the truck driver is not professionally, technically qualified to operate the truck at the airside,” “lack of training and proper sensitization of CBN personnel (drivers, security, operations) accessing the airside” and “inadequate oversight on CBN personnel (drivers, security, operations) accessing the airside by FAAN and NCAA.”
Five safety recommendations were issued. They are that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should ensure that all CBN personnel assigned to drive vehicles or access all Nigerian Airports are adequately and properly profiled and provided with Airside driving and compliance training; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should ensure that all CBN operated vehicles, equipment and personnel assigned to operate within or drive vehicles or access all Nigerian Airports are provided with appropriate Apron permit and access cards for identification and proper operational control at the airside of all Nigerian airports; Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should ensure that all CBN personnel assigned to drive vehicles at all Nigerian Airports are provided with Airside driving and compliance training; Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should ensure that agencies and organizations operating at the airside adhere strictly to all provisions of the Airside Vehicle Control Manual (AVCM) and “Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should intensify its oversight on FAAN as regards the operation of vehicles on the Airside.”