The Accident investigation Bureau AIB this Tuesday released four final air accident reports which included the report of the Caverton Augusta Westland 139 helicopter crash involving vice president Yemi Osinbajo in Kabba Kogi state last year and issued nine safety recommendations .
Commissioner AIB Akin Olateru while releasing the reports attributed contributory factors of the crash of the vice president’s helicopter to inappropriate landing techniques used, non adherence to company’s procedures for known or anticipated brownout conditions during landing and lack of risk assessment, limited landing site preparation and planning prior to commencement of the flight.
The Vice president had departed Abuja for kabba Kogi state with 12 persons on board including three crew members.
The AIB recommended that the NCAA should conduct a safety management systems (SMS) audit of Caverton Helicopters. The SMS audit by the NCAA should ensure that Caverton Helicopters has implemented the immediate safety recommendations 2019-003,.
The NCAA audit should also ascertain that the Caverton Helicopters internal SMS processes in the maintenance activities require the establishment of reasons causes of equipment failure/ malfunction(reference is made to the failures of multi- Purpose flight recorder.
The AIB also also issued another safety recommendation to the National security adviser that it should consider whether presidential Air fleet PAF, unit should be involved in the coordination and preparation of all high profile executive VIP flights in order to ensure that all executive VIP flights are conducted in accordance with the PAF unit standards and in line with its approved procedures.
The AIB also released the report involving an Aero contractors Bimbardier Dash 8Q-400 series , which was not reported to the AIB but was found out through social media.
The flight which was inbound lagos from Port Harcourt experienced bluish smoke which gradually increased in density within the cabin.
The smoke progressed into the cockpit, the lavatory smoke was detector aural warning activated and the AFT baggage light illuminated on the fire panel but there was no burning smell perceived.
Engine oil leak on a hot surface of the engine causing fumes which mixed with the engine bleed air supply to the air conditioning system resulting in smoke in the aircraft cabin cockpit and lavatory cargo compartments was identified as a causal factor.
Safety recommendations were made to the airline and the NCAA
Olateru noted that a total of 32 final reports have been released since January 2017 which makes up 62.7% of AIB ‘s total 51 final reports released since inception in 2007.
He maintained that more reports may be released before the end of the year
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