There is no doubt that the present management of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), under the leadership of Captain Alex Badeh Junior knows the weighty job ahead of them in carrying out the statutory roles of not only improving the country’s transportation safety through adequate, unbiased and timely investigations into circumstances that surround accidents or incidents in all the mode of transportation whenever it occurs.
It is well known that the main reasons for investigating causes of accidents or incidents is not to punish but to learn lessons and prevent similar occurences, therefore, for any country or sector with focus on the general mode of transport including air, waters and rail, the availability of a proactive investigative bureau and the alertness of the officials put in charge of the bureau are put to test in times of emergencies.
The ability of the bureau to carry out its investigative functions professionally and timely becomes pertinent as such investigations go a long way in serving as precautionary measures to all principal actors in the transportation sector with the sole responsibility falling on the shoulder of NSIB.
In view of the sensitivity surrounding accident investigations, those appointed to oversee the bureau must be highly cerebral and well grounded in their ability to put up a team of professionals that will complement the efforts and agenda of the government at the center.
In the past ten years, Nigeria’s investigative bureau whose job was initially confined to air accidents and incidents investigations alone, before it was enlarged to include other modes of transport, has continued to grow in leaps and bounds as witnessed in the swift manner and responses of the two managements consisting of the immediate past and the present to their duties whenever necessity comes calling on them.
It is on record how the previous NSIB management under Mr Akin Olateru through his promptness of conducting investigations into emergencies and wasting no time in releasing the results of the findings with recommendations put out for lessons to be learnt succeeded in making Nigeria’s accident investigation bureau a force to reckon with not only in Africa but around the globe.
During Olateru’s management, the bureau succeeded in investigating both accidents and incidents that occurred many years before he came on board together with the few ones that happened while he was in charge.
It got to a time that many African countries who saw Nigeria as the role model in accident investigations invited the bureau in Nigeria to carry out such functions for them.
This was the situation in the bureau until Olateru was replaced with Captain Alex Badeh Junior who wasted no time in comfortably continuing with the transformation of transportation in line with the renewed hope agenda of the President Bola Tinubu led government.
Therefore, to prove his appointment s a well deserved one, it did not surprise key players in the sector when Captain Badeh within the little time he has taken over the mantle of leadership of NSIB, has been able to investigate and release reports of four accidents/incidents including one final report and three preliminary reports in a fell swoop.
The released reports included the final report on serious incident involving an Embraer EMB-145LR registered 5N-BVD operated by Air Peace Limited which occurred at Kaduna Airport on 14 January, 2021.
Also released was the report and findings on the incident involving a ground collision between a Lavatory Service Truck with fleet number 9/5 operated by Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) and a parked Boeing 737-300 aircraft registered 5N-DAB operated by Max Air Limited which occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on 21 November 2021.
The third report was the serious Incident involving an MD-82 Aircraft Operated by Dana Airlines Limited Registered 5N-BK, which occurred on Runway 18Left of the Murtala Muhammed local Airport, Lagos on 23 April 2024.
The fourth involved a Boat accident that occurred at one nautical mile from Onono Jetty In Anambra West LGA, Anambra State en route Asaba Jetty in Asaba, Delta State on 10 April 2024 at about 12:30.
In the case of Air Peace, the NSIB investigated the serious incident involving an Embraer 145 belonging to Air a Peace airline and subsequently released its findings on the cause of the incident.
The report which was produced by the NSIB revealed that the aircraft had 53 persons made up of 49 passengers and four crew with fuel endurance of three hours before the incident occurred.
In its findings, the investigative committee discovered that the aircraft which had earlier operated three sectors, started having issues while preparing for the fourth sector on ground Kaduna.
“The Electric Motor Driven Pump (EMDP) was used to power the Hydraulic System. During Taxi, the Lead Cabin Crew informed the flight crew that there was an unusual sound from the over-wing to the aft of the aircraft. The flight crew concluded that the sound emanated from the EMDP and continued with pre-flight activities.
“The aircraft lined up for take-off and as it accelerated towards 119 kt, the take-off was aborted, thus initiating a sequence of events that eventually led to the failure of Number 1 and Number 2 Wheel Assemblies and additional damage to the aircraft.
The incident occurred at 12:09:20 h, daytime in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC).”
The causal factor according to the findings blamed the incident on the airline for operating the aircraft with an unserviceable hydraulic system leading to a high speed rejected take-off.
Ground collision between SAHCO truck/Max Air: In the final report released by the NSIB on the Incident involving a ground collision between the Skypower Aviation Handling Company’s (SAHCO) Lavatory Service Truck with Max Air parked Boeing 737-300 aircraft number 9/5.
The incident which happened in 2021, indicted SAHCO as a company lacking adequate workers in its operations department.
The final report also blamed the driver of the truck for failing to act professionally by not establishing communication between himself and the marshaller for the repositioning of the truck.
According to NSIB, the final report is based upon the investigation carried out by the Bureau under Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act, 2022, and Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 2023.
While the aircraft marked 5N-DAB was scheduled to operate eight sectors on the day of the incident, during the boarding of passengers for the fourth sector (Abuja to Maiduguri), the Pilot requested Ground Service for the aircraft Lavatory.
The report acknowledged the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) driver was licensed, trained and qualified to perform his responsibilities as the toxicology tests carried out on him were negative.
The truck was maintained under the manufacturer’s recommendations.
According to the report; “After the incident, toxicology tests were carried out on the GSE driver, and the results were negative. The analysis focuses on operational safety, ramp coordination and company policy adherence.
After positioning the truck with the aid of SAHCO GSE marshaller, it was put on chocks. When the driver realised his hands could not reach the aircraft Lavatory Drain Valve, he requested the GSE marshaller to guide him to reposition the truck closer to the aircraft.
“The GSE driver further stated that to move the truck by reversing, he stepped on the Throttle Pedal instead of the Brake Pedal, and the truck impacted the aircraft’s tail section. According to the GSE marshaller, as he removed the chock placed behind the tyre of the Lavatory Service Truck, the GSE driver abruptly reversed the lavatory service truck without waiting for the Marshaller’s clearance and communications.
According to the findings, “the GSE driver abruptly reversed the lavatory service truck. There was a loud noise as it impacted the aircraft, further moved underneath it, and was finally stopped by a Catering Service truck servicing the same aircraft on the left side.
“The GSE driver did not wait to establish eye contact/communication or be marshalled accordingly after the repositioning request. This contradicts various operational documents, including SAHCO’s plc GOM 7.1.3.5, 7.1.3.6, and SOP 3.3.4.
Adherence to safety and operational policies, proper ramp monitoring and coordination are factors pertinent during ramp operations to negate every latent human error.”
The final report revealed how abrupt stepping on the Throttle Pedal instead of the Brake Pedal by the driver caused the truck to impact the parked aircraft’s tail section.
“Less than adequate ramp supervision/coordination of SAHCO’s GSE operations. Inadequate work force in the operation of SAHCO’s handling more than one aircraft simultaneously. Non-compliance with various sections of SAHCO’s Operational and Ground Operation Manuals.
Among its safety recommendations, NSIB advised “SAHCO to ensure adherence to the provision section19 (1) of the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents And Incidents) Regulations 2019 regarding tampering with evidence which is now section 3.5 of the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations, 2023.
SAHCO was also tasked to ensure availability of adequate manpower at the ramp to cater for different operations occurring simultaneously. 4.2.3 Safety recommendation 2024-014 SAHCO plc should ensure that its operations are well coordinated and adequately supervised.”
Dana Air: In its released preliminary report on the serious incident involving Dana Air MD 82 aircraft which skidded off the Lagos airport domestic runway 18Left on April 23, 2024, NSIB in its investigations and findings revealed how severe vibration accompanied by a loud noise from the NLG area of the aircraft was noticed and on reaching 80 knots, the Captain also observed the collapse of the NLG, followed by a loss of directional control. This was subsequently followed by a loss of direction
control which made the aircraft to veer off to the left and exited the runway.
“On reaching 80 knots, the Captain noticed the collapse of the NLG, followed by a loss of directional control. The aircraft then veered off to the left and exited the runway at about 2,094 m from the threshold. It continued in the grass verge, crossed the paved Link 6 and stopped at about 2,343 m from the threshold, about 36 m from the runway centreline.
“Upon the final stop of the aircraft, the Captain shut down the engines and commanded evacuation through the Forward Service Door due to safety concerns on the Main Entry Door side. The Cabin Crew opened the Forward Service Door, and the Escape Slide was deployed. All occupants evacuated without any injury.
At about 09:41 h, the Tower contacted Ground Control, which activated the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Service (ARFFS). According to the crew, as they evacuated, they sighted ARFFS vehicles already taking positions around the aircraft. The event occurred in daylight, and Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) prevailed.”
This preliminary report, NSIB said provides details of initial facts, discussions, and findings surrounding the occurrence which also includes information gathered from witness accounts/statements, flight recorders, Air Traffic Control (ATC) recordings, weather reports, and preliminary inspection of the aircraft. The final report on the cause of the Dana Air crash is being awaited by Nigerians.
Boat accident:
After a thorough investigation into the boat accident involving some Nollywood stars in Anambra, NSIB in its preliminary report, revealed that the driver of the ill-fated boat lacked the basic certificate required to operate the vessel.
The boat was carrying 12 actors and crew members when it capsized , killing five passengers, including Mr. Paul Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope.
The report also disclosed how the fibre boat was not registered with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
Equally, the report said the boat driver was distracted by the rowdiness on board hence, failed to maintain proper lookout which led to the boat colliding with a crossing canoe after its occupant jumped out upon seeing the rapidly approaching vessel.
In its safety recommendations, the Bureau tasked NIWA to ensure that all commercial boats (carrying goods or passengers) are registered and that adequate safety measures are implemented and enforced on inland waterways.
NSIB also recommended training for local fishermen and boat association members as well as rescue divers to enable prompt rescue operations in future incidents.
With the release of the four reports, while praying for minimal calamities, the obvious fact is that Nigeria can boast of a very proactive accident investigation bureau under the present management of Alex Badeh.
