Posted by Sade Williams
Twelve years after an accident involving a Chanchangi airlines aircraft occurred, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), on Tuesday, released the final report.
The Boeing 737-282 aircraft owned and operated by Chanchangi Airlines Ltd with nationality and registration marks 5N-BIG, occurred at Port Harcourt International Airport on 14,th July, 2008.
The AIB also released others involving a Tampico TB-9 aircraft owned and operated by Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) with nationality and registration marks 5N-CBJ, which occurred at Zaria Aerodrome, Kaduna State on 26th September, 2018;
It also released the report on the Accident involving a Beechcraft C90 aircraft with nationality and registration marks N364UZ owned and operated by Shoreline Energy Intl Ltd, which occurred at Barakallahu Village near Old Kaduna (Military) Airport on 24th May, 2011.
The fourth report is that of the accident involving a Boeing 747-200 Aircraft operated by Veteran Avia Airlines Limited with nationality and registration marks EK-74798, which occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on 4th December, 2013.
According to Engr. Akin Olateru, AIB commissioner, there were 47 persons on board the Chanchangi aircraft (41 passengers, 2 flight crew and 4 flight attendants) and 3 hours fuel endurance.
He added that all occupants on board were evacuated with one passenger sustaining a minor injury.
He said one of the causal factors was the decision to land following an unstabilized approach (high rate of descent and high approach speed), where a go-around was not initiated.
He added that some contributory factors were the deteriorating weather conditions with a line squall which prevented a diversion to the alternates.
The runway, he said was wet with significant patches of standing water.
The AIB concluded that Although, there was no safety recommendation, in view of the issuance of the Nigeria CAR 2009 and the revision in 2015, which addressed the areas of shortcomings identified in this investigation.
On the Tampico TB-9 operated by NCAT, the Student Pilot (SP), was the only person on board and was scheduled to perform five take-offs and landings using the 180° glide manoeuvre.
According to the report: ‘At 09:32 h, during the first circuit, the aircraft touched down on RWY 23 at about 121 m from the threshold and veered off to the left, exiting the RWY at 184 m from the threshold into the waterlogged grass area. The aircraft came to a final stop at a perpendicular distance of 73 m from the RWY centreline. The SP exited the aircraft without injury’.
The AIB identified the causal factor to be late decision to initiate a go-around after touchdown which resulted in loss of directional control of the aircraft after landing, adding that inappropriate control inputs during landing roll and intermittent interruptions in training program contributed to the accident.
It however recommended that the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology should ensure that where there are gaps in student pilots’ training, policies and procedures should be put in place in the training programme so that the students are brought up to speed in both theory and practice.
On the Beechcraft C90 aircraft, the aircraft crashed on a farm-land 878 meters short of RWY 23 (military) and engulfed into flames.
The two occupants were fatally injured, according to the AIB
The report identified the causal factor to the inability of the pilot to control the aircraft to landing due to inadequate power to enable the pilot maintain the appropriate approach profile (height, speed and glide path) to cover the required distance to threshold.
While non-adherence to approved storage procedure; non-adherence to approved return from storage procedure and inadequate regulatory oversight by the authority on flight operation and maintenance of foreign registered aircraft in Nigeria, contributed to the accident.
The AIB recommended that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority NCAA should liaise with the Old Kaduna (Military) Airport authorities to ensure that an Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) is developed and maintained in line with Nig.CARs Part 12 (Aerodrome Regulations).
