Skip to main content

AIB To Release Final Report Of Dana Crash, Three Others Next Week – CEO

He added that the AIB currently has 37 accident reports pending investigation.

The Commissioner of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Akin Olateru, announced on Thursday that the final report of the Dana Air crash of June 3, 2012, which claimed 163 lives after crashing in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, could be released to the public next week.

He added that the AIB currently has 37 accident reports pending investigation.

Mr. Olateru disclosed this at a forum organized by the Aviation Round Table (ART) in Lagos on Thursday.

The commissioner explained that the final report of the Dana Air crash, along with three other crashes that occurred between 2011 and 2016, would be submitted to the presidency for approval before being released to the public.

The three other accidents involve two Bristow Helicopters crashes and one AOS Helicopters crash.

The first of the two Bristow Helicopters crashes occurred on August 12, 2015 in the Oworonshoki Area of the Third Mainland Bridge with six fatalities while six others sustained serious injuries.

The second, which crashed into the sea, flew from an offshore platform, but without fatalities.

The AOS Helicopters crash occurred on July 29, 2011 between Ife and Ogbomosho. The reports of the accident will be made public by next week.

Regarding the other 33 remaining accident reports still pending investigation at AIB, Mr. Olateru vowed that at least 10 would be released to the public before the end of year.

“When I took over at the AIB on January 13, 2017, there were 37 pending accident investigations and the first question I asked was how many accidents do we have in a year that we have 37 pending accident investigations? Today, I’m proud to tell you, four reports are on their way to the president including Dana, and two Bristow and AOS Helicopters reports. And by next week, we will make them official reports,” the commissioner said.

“Before the end of this year, by the special grace of God, we will release a minimum of 10 reports. There must be a big paradigm shift in the way we do things,” he added.

Mr. Olateru also said that the AIB lacks adequate technical manpower to speedily conduct investigations, explaining that “are only one and half pilots in AIB,” but decried that neither specializes in helicopter accident investigation despite the frequencies of rotary wing crashes in Nigeria.

He added further that the AIB lacked an emergency code number that the public could contact in case of an accident, promising to implement a simple three-digit emergency contact number.

“We don’t even have an emergency response team in AIB. Who do you call even when you need a crane? We don’t know. Most of our management team does not know the number to call in case of an accident. There is no way anyone will remember the 11-digit number. Rather, we need a unique three-digit number.

“We don’t have a control room in AIB. Once it is 4 to 5pm, the company shuts down and I try to remind them that accidents in most times occur in the evening and on weekends. So, we must have a functional control room, radio, and monitor things that are going on. Reporting accidents is another issue. We have to make it seamless.

“These are the issues I’m taking up with the honorable minister and he’s willing to support. We need to strengthen the system and we can’t just fold our hands,” Mr. Olateru concluded.

Image