The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has listed three factors as the cause of the Chanchangi accident involving a 737-200 aircraft with registration marks 5N- BIG, which occurred on July 14, 2008 at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
They include poor landing technique, deteriorating weather conditions and a wet runway with significant patches of standing water.
The AIB had earlier released the report for the accident which occurred 12 years ago alongside three other reports.
The other three reports were on the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Tampico TB-9 aircraft with registration 5N-CBJ, a Beechcraft aircraft with registration N564UZ belonging to Shoreline and a Veteran Aviation Airline EK-74798 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The Bureau also issued nine safety recommendations to prevent future accidents and serious incidents when implemented according to a statement released on Tuesday and titled ‘AIB releases four final reports, issues nine safety recommendations’.
No safety recommendations were however given for the accident at PHIA.
The AIB Commissioner, Akin Olateru, was quoted to have said, “In view of the issuance of the Nigeria CAR 2009 and the revision in 2015, which addressed the areas of shortcomings identified in this investigation, no safety recommendations are made.”
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On the accident involving the Tampico TB-9 aircraft, the bureau explained that the late decision to initiate a go-around after touchdown resulted in the loss of directional control of the aircraft after landing.
Two occupants of the Beechcraft C90 aircraft were fatally injured, as the aircraft crashed on a farmland, engulfed in flames, according to the report.
Part of the report read, “Dornier Aviation Nigeria AIEP, DANA and Nigerian Air Force, NAF fire-fighting personnel were dispatched immediately.
“There was no direct access between the runway and the accident site, which delayed the fire trucks from reaching the accident site on time.”
The cause of the crash was the inability of the pilot to control the aircraft to landing due to inadequate power to enable the pilot maintain the appropriate approach profile (height, speed and glide path) to cover the required distance to threshold.
The last accident report was on the 747-200 aircraft operated by Veteran Avia Airlines Limited EK-74798.
