The director general of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Capt Alex Badeh Jr has said that the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) carried the bureau along in the investigation into the accident that claimed the life of the former group managing director and chief executive officer of Access Bank Plc, Mr Herbert Wigwe.
Recall that Wigwe was among six people who died on February 9, 2024 after the Eurocopter EC130 in which they were travelling crashed near Nipton, California.
Also involved in the crash were his wife Doreen and his 29-year old son, Chizi, former chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and two crew members.
The passengers were on their way from Palm Springs International Airport to Boulder City, Nevada on a charter flight operated by Orbic Air to attend the Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday, Bade Jr. said the NTSB kept the bureau informed of the details of the investigation of the accident.
“We were an interested party, and were kept abreast of the process by the NTSB, who led the investigation in the U.S,” he said.
The NTSB report indicated that the probable cause of the accident was spatial disorientation.
The NSIB chief noted that the report also highlighted deficiencies in the company’s oversight and safety management processes.
“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,” he added.
Responding to the US State Department claim that Nigerian airports are generally unsafe, Badeh Jr said: “While there is always room for improvement, the NSIB does not concur with the assessment that Nigerian airports are generally unsafe. It’s crucial to consider the context and metrics used in such evaluations.”
However, he admitted that challenges such as perimeter fencing and instances of wildlife intrusion exist at some airports, but noted that such situations are not peculiar to Nigeria as they also occur at airports globally, including in the United States.
“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,” he added.
Regarding the recent incident in Asaba, where an aircraft was reported to have encountered animals on the runway, the director general said: “The aircraft was fine and continued its journey to Abuja without any damage. The incident was reported to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Since there was no significant issue, it was not reported to the NSIB. However, we plan to reach out to the private entity managing the airport to discuss best practices.”
He further stated that such occurrences involving animals on runways are rare in Nigeria.
Bade Jr. also provided an update on the NSIB’s expanded mandate saying: “In line with our establishment act of 2022, we are now the sole accident investigation agency in Nigeria, covering air, rail, road, and maritime. We are developing the necessary frameworks, including maritime investigation regulations, training manuals, investigation procedure policies, and manuals. The maritime and rail frameworks are complete, and we are engaging stakeholders for their buy-in.”
He added that the bureau “is committed to promoting transport safety and conducting objective, comprehensive, and accurate investigations into transport accidents and incidents in Nigeria.”
