The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is calling on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to step up its regulatory oversight of Kaduna Airport.
This was obtained in a report released by the bureau regarding an incident involving an Embraer EMB-145LR belonging to Air Peace in January 2021.
However, the NSIB, called on the NCAA to ensure that Air Peace Limited and other operators adhere to regulations issued by the authority relating to the preservation of the contents of Cockpit Voice Recorders following incidences of reportable occurrences.
The NSIB said, “Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority should enhance its oversight of Kaduna airport to ensure operations are conducted in compliance with the relevant provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, including compliance with Part 12.6.16.10 regarding regular testing of response time to evaluate the effectiveness of the firefighting service of the airport.”
The aviation investigation body in the report indicted the airline for allegedly operating an unserviceable aircraft.
That violation of safety precautions by an aircraft with registration number 5N-BVD belonging to Air Peace in Kaduna in 202.
According to NSIB, the final report is based upon the investigation carried out by the bureau under Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act, 2022, and Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 2023.
After an investigation into the cause of the incident, NSIB noted that the Embraer had 53 persons made up of 49 passengers and four crew members with fuel endurance of three hours before the incident occurred.
The NSIB also found that the aircraft, which had earlier operated three sectors, had issues while preparing for the fourth sector on the ground at Kaduna.
The report stated, “The Electric Motor Driven Pump was used to power the hydraulic system. During the taxi, the lead cabin crew informed the flight crew that there was an unusual sound from the over-wing to the aft of the aircraft.
“The flight crew concluded that the sound emanated from the EMDP and continued with pre-flight activities.
“The aircraft lined up for take-off and as it accelerated towards 119kt, the take-off was aborted, thus initiating a sequence of events that eventually led to the failure of Number 1 and Number 2 Wheel Assemblies and additional damage to the aircraft.”
The NSIB’s investigation identified additional contributing factors, including a hydraulic leak in system 1 caused by a loose coupling on the brake control valve’s hydraulic line, as well as the pilot’s failure to follow Air Peace Limited’s guidelines for diagnosing and reporting faults.
Calls and text messages put across to Stanley Olisa, the spokesperson of the airline, on the matter were not responded to.
