The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) have been advised to work together to achieve proper implementation of air safety recommendation.
This call is coming at a time when the NCAA has been accused of not carrying out safety recommendations issued by AIB, on the other hand, AIB has also been accused of issuing recommendations which seems impossible to be implemented.
Experts have however called on both agencies to build a strong communication network and collaborate to ensure safety is not compromised.
Speaking on Thursday at the quarterly Business Breakfast Meeting of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Harold Demuren, former Director General, NCAA said AIB does not have the authority to enforce recommendations but effective communication with NCAA is important.
Demuren said NCAA must evaluate the safety recommendations issued by AIB using risk-based approach with consideration of cost and time of implementation.
He hinted that the American aviation regulators and airlines have implemented about 82 percent of safety recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation.
He further disclosed that six percent are about to be implanted and the remaining 12 percent may not be carried out, adding that regulators in other climes will always implement safety recommendations as long as they are the right recommendations and they can save lives.
He said, “It is not the amount of recommendations we make that matters but the quality of recommendations. A risk-based approach to implementing safety recommendations require good leadership, competence, capability to do it, robust insurance systems and more importantly, effective communication between NCAA and AIB.”
Also speaking at the event, Nnamdi Udoh, former managing director and CEO of NAMA said implementing accident investigation recommendations requires good leadership.
According to him, aviation security is the greatest challenge that needs to be addressed in the sector.
“Nobody benefits when an airline goes down, so we must do everything to protect the airlines. When you are not sure of the airspace, shut it down. Accident Investigation is a learning process and if Annex 13 wasn’t necessary, it wouldn’t have been written in such a robust manner,” Udoh added.
Tunji Oketunbi, Corporate Communications Manager of AIB accused NCAA of keeping serious incidences to itself instead of informing the AIB.
Oketunbi reiterated that accident investigations by AIB will help prevent future occurrence, adding that AIB is currently the only agency that write things about the industry the way they are. “AIB does not have the power to implement recommendations but NCAA does but sadly we have seen deficiencies with NCAA and the airlines. AIB and NCAA should know their responsibilities and act accordingly. Safety recommendations must be timely,” he said.
Muhtar Usman, the director general, NCAA who was represented at the event said the accusations that NCAA does not implement safety recommendations was unfounded.
He said when a draft report is sent to the NCAA, the NCAA develops safety action with respect to all the safety recommendations by AIB.
