By Sade Williams
The Flight Dispatcher Association of Nigeria (FLIDAN) has accused the pilot of the United Nigeria Airlines Flight NUA 0504 Lagos-Abuja flight which landed in Asaba of disregarding “Operational Control ” of the Flight Dispatcher which empowers a 50% Joint and Equal Responsibility of the Safety of the flight to the Flight Dispatcher.
The association also accused the air Traffic Control (ATC) of same offence.
In a statement signed by Victoria Adegbe Secretary General, FLIDAN, the associationt noted that the Flight Dispatcher followed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, Part 8-Operations; by filing a flight plan with Aeronautical Information Service, AIS which was transmitted to the Control Tower.
It noted that the departure was Lagos while destination was Abuja, First Alternate, Enugu and second Alternate- Port Harcourt.
“The weather folder given showed Abuja weather was ok. ThePilot called the Air Traffic Control (Tower) for clearance to depart to Asaba. The Tower granted the request against the legal flight plan submitted by the Flight Dispatcher
“Both the Pilot and The ATC seem not to follow what was filed which by implication, meant that they disregarded “Operational Control ” of the Flight Dispatcher which empowers a 50% Joint and Equal Responsibility of the Safety of the flight to the Flight Dispatcher.
“The Airlines’ Operational control which allowed a pilot to generate his own Operational Flight Plan, OFP, thereby taking the full responsibility of the Dispatch Release is an outright breach of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, NCAR Part 8
“The Airlines’ Operations Control further contravened the NCAR which states that an airline pilot shall take to the destination airport a copy of the Flight Plan, Dispatch Release and Load Manifest. By implication, if the pilot had the flight plan on him, he would have gotten his destination right, the Dispatch Release if it was with him summarises the departure and destination which was clearly disregarded.”, it said.
FLIDAN further states that the ATC should not have granted a scheduled flight clearance to depart to a destination that was not as filed by the Flight Dispatcher
“The Airline in a show of absolute disregard for Aviation Law went ahead to suspend the Flight Dispatcher who upheld the Licence issued by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and carried out his job as required by law.
“We call on the NCAA to beam a search light on the Operations Control of the Airline which has seized Operational Control from the Flight Dispatcher.”, it added.
