The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) informed Nigeria on the process of the helicopter crash of late Mr. Herbert Wigwe, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc, his wife, son, and three others, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr., the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has said.
Badeh Jr. also debunked the claim in some quarters that Nigerian airports were generally unsafe, saying that the sector operates to global standards.
A statement on Wednesday by Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, said that Badeh Jr. made the statement during an interview on Arise TV.
Badeh Jr. however said that the NSIB did not work “side-by-side” with the NTSB during the investigation into the accident, but said Nigeria as an interested party was kept abreast of the process by the safety board.
He also clarified that the NTSB led the investigation into the crash as a state of occurrence.
The NTSB in its report mentioned spatial disorientation as the probable cause of the accident.
This, Badeh noted, highlighted deficiencies in the company’s oversight and safety management processes.
He said: “It appears there were systemic issues, and the flight risk assessment should have indicated a higher risk. While it’s easy to blame the pilot, there is a system behind the pilot that should have mitigated these risks.”
On the safety of Nigerian airports, Badeh insisted the Nigerian aviation industry is generally safe and operates to global standards.
He, however, said that there are rooms for improvement, saying that it was crucial to consider the context and metrics used in such evaluations.
He acknowledged that some of the airports are faced with perimeter fencing and instances of wildlife intrusion challenges, but insisted these were not unique to Nigeria alone.
He said these occur at other global airports, including the United States.
He said: “It’s unfair to generalise that our airports are totally unsafe. We recognise the need for continuous improvement, and we commend the efforts of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in implementing upgrades.”
On the Asaba Airport runway incident involving Air Peace and an antelope, Badeh declared that there was no damage to the aircraft, stressing that the aircraft continued its journey to Abuja the same day.
The Director-General NSIB explained that the incident was immediately reported to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), stressing that since there was no significant issue, it was not reported to the NSIB.
He also said that such occurrences involving animals on runways are rare in Nigeria.
Badeh further stated that the NSIB planned to reach out to the management of the Asaba Airport Company to discuss best practices.
Wigwe Helicopter Crash: American Safety Board Kept Nigeria Informed Of Process – DG NSIB