Max Air incident: NAMA debunks statement by airline on 'epileptic' ILS

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has debunked statements attributed to Max Air that the incident at the Minna Airport was as a result an epileptic Instrument Landing System (ILS), reinstating that nothing could be furthest from the truth as its ILS are working optimally.

The statement made available and signed by Khalid Emele, the general manager Public Affairs NAMA, revealed that the Instrument Landing System was successfully calibrated early this year {2019} and there has been no report of non-alignment by the equipment from pilots since then.

The airspace managers also stated that other operators that have used the facility after the incident yesterday have not complained about the ILS malfunctioning.

The statement read,” The attention of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has been drawn to a press release issued by Max Air Ltd on the incident involving its aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 with registration No. 5N-DBK at Minna airport on Saturday, the 7th of September, 2019.

“In the said release, the airline’s director of operations, Ibrahim Dilli attributed the unfortunate incident among other things, to the Instrument Landing System at the airport which he said was “epileptic with unreliable signals.”

“While we acknowledge that we have absolute confidence in the ability of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) to conduct a thorough investigation (which is ongoing), we are constrained to however put things in proper perspective for the benefit our airspace users and the flying public.

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The statement disclosed that the reported weather on the day in question was 10km visibility in nil weather.

“The said Instrument Landing System was successfully calibrated early this year {2019} and there has been no report of non-alignment by the equipment from pilots since then. Other operators that have used the facility after the incident have not complained about the ILS malfunctioning.

“NAMA has made available other alternative approaches like the Performance Based Navigation (PBN) approach procedures and Very High Omni-directional Radio Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) approach procedures which are alternatives to the ILS,” Emele stated.

IFEOMA OKEKE

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.