AIB calls for restraint in accident investigation

Commissioner of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Felix Abali, has called for restraint from the public in case of accident or major incident in the country’s aviation industry.

Abali also assured that the AIB would continue to carry out its functions efficiently in line with internationally recognised standards.

Speaking yesterday during his welcome address at a stakeholders’ forum on draft amendment to AIB regulations in Lagos, Abali said the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13, specifically noted that the sole objective of investigation of an accident or incident would be to prevent recurrent.

The AIB boss explained that the purpose of this activity was not to apportion blame or liability, which he said might however run against the expectation of many members of the public.

He, however, said this was understandable due to the emotion-laden atmosphere that usually accompanied air mishaps anywhere in the world, but the AIB would not carry out its investigation through emotions.

“It is also not unusual to find many people eager to know the cause of aircraft accidents, even in a matter of days. We must be painstaking and thorough so as to arrive at a conclusion that is not only fair and transparent but can also be scientifically proven.

“Besides the accident site investigation that is usually open to the public, accident investigation entails gathering information from diverse sources including documentations such as maintenance and personnel records, regulatory authority records, flight planning documents and operators manuals,” he said.

According to Abali, the ongoing amendment of the current regulations will make the document to be more robust, transparent and all-inclusive.

Also speaking at the occasion, Hadi Sirika, minister of state for aviation, who was represented by Nuhu Musa, special adviser, technical, reiterated that the Federal Government would continue to take the issue of safety and security of all airport users as critical.

He also expressed that the amendment process had been duly followed as stipulated in the subsisting Regulation 2006, with the participation of the observer to the bureau’s regulation committee reporting back to the Federal Ministry of Aviation on the amendments.