Three days after a tragic crash involving
an Associated Airlines plane killed 14
people in Lagos, the Federal
Government, through the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority on Sunday night,
announced the suspension of Dana Air’s
operations nationwide.
The decision to suspend Dana’s
operations came 24 hours after the
NCAA grounded the operations of
Associated Airlines, whose Embraer 120
plane crashed near a fuel depot two
minutes after takeoff at the Lagos
airport, leaving only six survivors.
The charter plane was conveying the
remains of a former Governor of Ondo
State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, to Akure for
interment. It also had on board 20
people, including officials of the state
government, family members and
friends of Agagu.
Also, 24 hours after the Associated
Airlines crash, another major air disaster
was averted when a Kabo Airlines’
Boeing 747 plane carrying 512 pilgrims
had a near-crash at the Sokoto airport
with deflated tyres, damaging the
airport’s Instrument Landing System.
The Coordinating General Manager,
Corporate Communications, Aviation
Parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Dati, confirmed
to our correspondent on Sunday night
that the government had suspended the
operations of Dana Air nationwide.
Dati said the decision was to allow the
regulatory agency “conduct an
operational audit” on the carrier and its
planes.
The latest suspension of Dana’s
operations made it the third time the
NCAA would be grounding the carrier
over safety and other related issues.
On March 17, 2013, the government
suspended the operations of Dana in
order to “resolve certain safety issues,”
according to the NCAA.
Some days later, the government lifted
the suspension thus clearing the carrier
to resume operations.
The March 17 suspension came nearly
three months after the airline resumed
operations following a seven-month
suspension after its Boeing MD-83
crashed in Lagos, killing 163 people
The government had on June 5, 2012
revoked the operational licence of Dana,
two days after the crash in Iju-Ishaga,
Lagos.
The government had also at a time
directed Dana to pay compensations to
the families of all the victims of the June
3, 2012 crash or risk severe sanctions.
It is unclear whether the latest
suspension of the airline’s operation is
related to the issue of payment of
compensation or whether the NCAA is
having issues with it on the safety
condition of its planes.
The Associated Airlines’ crash in Lagos
and the Kabo Airlines’ averted crash in
Sokoto have combined to raise tension
in the sector as industry observers are
beginning to raise doubts about the
operational condition of planes flying in
the country.
The flying public is also worried that the
regulatory authority is not living up to
its task.
Meanwhile, the Accident Investigation
and Prevention Bureau has announced
the commencement of investigations
into the causes of the crash of an
Associated Airlines flight on Thursday,
and the near-crash of a Kabo Air plane
on Saturday.
A statement from the agency on Sunday
confirmed that the readout of the
recordings of the Associated Airlines’
flight recorders had started.
The statement signed by the
Commissioner, AIB, Capt. Muktar
Usman, said, “We have commenced
investigation into the crash of the
Embraer 120 ER aircraft marked 5N-BJY
belonging to Associated Aviation
Limited.
“Flight recorders of the ill-fated aircraft
have been recovered and will be
downloaded at the Bureau’s newly
installed flight laboratory at its Abuja
headquarters. The readout of the
recorders has commenced.”
The statement added that of the 20
passengers on board the aircraft, there
were only six survivors as of Saturday.
Associated Aviation Limited is a Nigerian
registered domestic airline, which
operates chartered and scheduled flights
in the country.
In a separate statement, the AIB also
said investigations had commenced into
the incident involving a Kabo Air B747
plane, which occurred in Sokoto on
Friday.
The aircraft, carrying Saudi Arabia-bound
pilgrims, was believed to have burst
tyres on landing.
“The AIB investigators have been
dispatched to conduct an investigation
into the circumstances surrounding the
incident to determine the probable
cause. The investigation is not to
apportion blame or liability, but to
prevent future re-currence of similar
incidents and improve air safety through
safety recommendations,” the
statement explained.
It added that the AIB was charged with
the responsibility of investigating aircraft
accidents and serious incidents within
the country, and where Nigeria’s
interest was represented.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of
Journalists has described as tragic and
unfortunate the crash of the Associated
Airlines’ plane.
The union, in a statement by its Vice-
President, B Zone, Mr. Dele Atunbi, in
Abuja, commiserated with the
government and the people of Ondo
State over the tragedy that claimed the
lives of four state functionaries.
Also, a cleric, Pastor Akeem Idoniboye,
has attributed the high casualty figure
recorded in the ill-fated plane crash in
Lagos to the failure of the National
Emergency Management Agency to
handle emergency situations.
Idoniboye, who spoke during a sermon
at the Glorious Destiny Christian Centre
on Sunday, noted that some of the
victims, who were already out of the
plane, were killed by the explosion after
the crash and before help could reach
them.
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