By Ken Afor
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called for a meeting with the heads of aviation regulatory agencies to address issues about safety in the aviation sector.
At the meeting, the minister said that a detailed examination of recent occurrences would be conducted.
“Due to safety concerns in the aviation sector expressed by members of the public, I have summoned the heads of the regulatory agencies to my office later today to review the incidents that are the causes of these concerns and to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to forestall future occurrence and to apply sanctions, where necessary, regarding the past incidents,” he tweeted.
This trails a series of accidents that have occurred in the country’s aviation sector this year alone.
The most recent incident was when a ValueJet aircraft skidded off the runway at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Thursday, November 13.
According to reports, The CRJ 900 Bombardier aircraft, with registration number 5N-BXR slipped off on the taxi runway at approximately 3:30 PM local time after landing.
Another incident was that of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu who escaped death after the private jet owned by Flint Aero crash-landed on Friday night, November 3, 2023, at the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport.
Adelabu was said to have departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Friday evening to Ibadan but the aircraft crash-landed into the bush while trying to touch the tarmac at about 10 p.m.
Responding to the incident, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) said it has commenced an investigation into the cause of the accident.
“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has been notified and commenced investigation into an accident involving an HS 125 aircraft with Nationality and Registration Marks 5N-AMM belonging to Flint Aero, which occurred at about 08:21 pm (Local Time) on 3rd November 2023,” NSIB said.
“The aircraft, with 10 passengers and 3 crew members onboard was en-route Ibadan from Abuja. The aircraft, on final approach to landing Runway 22, Ibadan Airport crashed short of the runway. There was no fatality, as all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
“As the investigating agency, NSIB needs and hereby solicits your assistance. We want the public to know that we would be amenable to receiving any video clip, relevant evidence, or information any members of the public may have of the accident; that can assist us with this investigation.”
At around 1:41pm local time, a light single-engine aircraft, turbo 5N-CCQ, experienced a loss of control in the air which resulted in the aircraft crashing into the ground in the vicinity of an AP Filling Station and a commercial bank located on Oba Akran, in the Ikeja area of Lagos. Subsequently, the aircraft burst into flames.
Four persons including the pilot who were on board the ill-fated aircraft were all rescued alive.
