Accident investigation: Amendment to regulations will enhance aviation safety-Sirika

 

From right, Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB)Dr. Felix Abali, Special Assistant (Technical) to the Minister of State for Aviation, representing the Minister of Aviation, Capt. Musa Nuhu and President, Aviation Round Table (ART), Mr. Gbenga Olowo at a stake holders workshop on Proposal Amendment to Accident Investigation Regulations by AIB held at Ikeja, Lagos.

The Minister of State (Aviation), Sen. Hadi Sirika has thrown his weight behind the just concluded amendment to Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations, 2006 that it will definitely enhance aviation safety in Nigeria aviation industry.

According to the Minister who was represented by his Special Assistant (Technical),  Captain Nuhu Musa:  “I look forward to having updated Regulations for the Accident Investigation Bureau, which will ultimately enhance the aviation safety in Nigeria.”

The Minister also said the amendment process has 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.

 “I believe all relevant amendments are in conformity with the ICAO Annex 13 on Accident Investigation which has been included in this draft amendment before us today.”

“It is my belief that your input will be considered and included in the final Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 2016 for Honourable Minister of State Aviation assent.”-he concluded

Special Assistant (Technical)to the Minister of State for Aviation, represent the Minister of Aviation Capt. Musa Nuhu, (left)being received by Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB)Dr. Felix Abali and Legal Adviser, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA) Mrs. Anastasia Gbem at the stake holders workshop.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner and the Chief executive Officer of the agency, Dr. Felix Abali in his welcome address expressed his confidence in the exercise. He said the deliberation and amendment he believed,  “will not only make the document to be more robust but will make the process more transparent and inclusive. Review is the livewire of any organisation that is serious about growth and progress. Our experience in our local environment coupled with global imperatives has made the current review a necessity.”

Dr. Abali said regulation is an important tool for carrying out the functions of accident investigation as it sets out the framework for the day-to-day operations of the Bureau. “The Bureau's enabling law, which also domesticated International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) Annexe 13, forms the bedrock of the regulations. There are, however several Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) that we need to conform with.”

“Accident investigation is a global exercise and so we must align ourselves with global standards if we must be on top of our job and contribute meaningfully to global aviation safety.  The proposed amended regulations will enhance our efficiency and further empower us to deliver on our mandate.

Accident investigation is a strong pillar of aviation safety as it seeks to prevent accidents and incidents even as it enhances air safety. According to ICAO definition of accident investigation, it is a process conducted for the purpose of accident prevention, which includes the gathering and analysis of information, the drawing of conclusions, including the determination of causes and, when appropriate, the making of safety recommendations.”

Stating the objective of accident investigations Dr. Abali explained, “According to ICAO Annex 13, the sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident shall be the prevention of accidents and incidents. It is not the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability. This may, however run against the expectation of many members of the public and the press, which may be understandable due to the emotion laden atmosphere that usually accompanies air mishaps.

It is also not unusual to find many people eager to know the cause of aircraft accidents, even in a matter of days. So are we but accident investigation process is more complex that many often imagine. 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.”

Abali other words: “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.

Other sources are recordings such as flight recorders, interviews, direct observations of actions performed by operating or maintenance personnel in their work environment, simulations, specialist advice, safety databases and so on.

There are also statutory processes to be engaged before reports are released to the public. All these take time. It is therefore important to appeal to the public and concerned citizens to please show some understanding and patience during air mishaps. It may also be apt to enjoin some people who always try to preempt accident investigations to apply the brake and allow AIB to do its job.

Accident investigations are conducted with a view to reconstructing events leading to the occurrence, so as to be well positioned to locate safety hazards, conduct risk assessments and proffer safety recommendations that will mitigate or eliminate unacceptable risks.”