Naked Display of Ignorance on the Nigerian Aviation Industry
In my last post I talked about the issue of age in relation to safety and the trend by the government to ban aircraft types involved in plane crashes from the country's aviation industry.
Recently the House of Representatives in a session passed a resolution calling for the sack of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Harold Demuren for professional negligence. They recommended the revocation of his professional license as well as criminal prosecution for criminal negligence. They called for the revocation of Dana Air's operating license as well as phasing the MD83 out of the Nigerian aviation industry due to the fact that the NCAA does not have a certified engineer type rated on the MD83.
I was dazed when the National Assembly misled Nigerians to belief that the Nigerian aviation sector is weak, that NCAA allows unfit aircraft to fly as well as negligence caused the Dana plane to crash.
The report on the Dana crash by the National Assembly is a distortion of fact meant to overheat the polity. It contradicts the ICAO standards which refrains individuals from commenting on the cause of a plane crash when the cause of the crash is yet to be determined by the relevant accident investigation authorities. The legislature have the power to make laws and not to investigate plane crashes. The power of investigating lies with the Accident Investigation Bureau.
I am not bothered about the calling for the sack of Demuren but the most annoying about the recommendation is the fallacies and lies the National assembly is throwing to the general public. They are only creating more problems rather than solving it.
First of all on the revocation of the Dana Air, The House does not have the power or authority to carry out investigation on plane crashes. Their power is to make laws. That power is vested in the Accident investigation bureau. The whole exercise on the industry is nothing but a mere put a mere public relation exercise meant to show that the legislature cares about the people. The report called for the revocation of Dana's license. If a plane crash can cause an airline's license to be revoked, there will be no major airline flying in the world. The investigations to the Dana crash is yet to be released and calling for the airline's revocation of its license is uncalled for just because of a crash. I sympathize with the victims of the crash who are angry over the decision to allow Dana to operate. Industry standards is more important any emotional sentiments. The airline's operating license shouldn't have being withdrawn at the first place. In America, Europe and other developed parts of the world, airlines involved in plane crashes never had their operations suspended or their license revoked. So why is the National assembly trying to create more problems in the name of promoting air safety. I am not defending Dana in anyway. What I am trying to point out is that revoking an airline's license because of a crash is against industry standards even when the reports on the cause of the crash is not yet out. Even if the investigation report is released and Dana is indicted, it does not make any difference. In developed parts of the world, airlines that are found wanting in safety are heavily fined or have their airplanes grounded for a while until they meet their safety standards and not having their license revoked.
In May 25 1979, an American Airlines McDonnell Douglass DC-10 crashed after its left engine detached from the wings during its takeoff roll and crashed killing all the 271 on board the airplane as well as two on ground. The cause of the crash was faulty maintenance carried on the the plane weeks before the crash against the recommended method of maintaining the airplane type. American was fined $500,000 for their negligent act. The amount was large at that time.
In January 31, 2000, an Alaska Airlines McDonnell Douglass MD83 crashed into the pacific killing all the 88 on board. The airline was found to have cut corners with maintenance. Prior to the crash a staff of the airline raised the issue but was fired by the airline. The airline was fined too and it is still flying today.
On the issue of phasing out the the MD83, the allegation was that the MD was too old to fly and that more so the it has being phased out by American and other part of the world as well as non availability of engineers type rated on the aircraft in the NCAA. The report is misleading and a complete misrepresentation of facts.
American Airlines is the largest operator of the MD83 aircraft in the world with about 82 in its fleet, it is closely followed by Allegiant with a fleet of 46. The airplane is also used in other parts of the world in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Mitt Romney, the US Republican Presidential candidate used an MD83 built in 1990.
On the issue that there are no certified engineers type rated on the MD83 in the NCAA, it is unbelievable. However even if there are no engineers type rated for the airplane, can't they be trained?
Like I said in my earlier write up, age has no correlation with safety. The reason for retiring old planes is for economic reasons and not for safety reasons. Old planes are more expensive to maintain than new ones and since they require more maintenance checks than newer aircraft. A well maintained old airplane is better than a badly maintained new airplane. Age restriction is against the ICAO standards and practice. equating age with safety is just like saying you re buying a brand new Range Rover and expecting it not to be involved in an accident.
If age was, new airplanes would not have being involved in plane crashes. But crashes involving new airplanes have shown that buying a new aircraft does not guarantee flight safety. For instance in 1989, a British Midland Boeing 737-400 crashed after a fan blade broke in its engine, the plane was months old and the pilot erroneously switched off a functional engine. In 1994, an Aeroflot Airlines Airbus A310-300 crashed after the pilot's son turned the plane killing every one onboard. In 2007 a Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800 crashed killing all onboard; the plane was just 5 months old. In 2009, an Air France Airbus A330-200 crashed killing all the 228 on board. All the aforementioned crashes involving these airlines were due to pilot errors.
It natural for laymen and ignorant people to equate so called old airplanes with molues and danfos . Just like aging airplanes we have aging equipments and personnel.
It is unfortunate that both houses have passed a resolution limiting the age of aircraft to 15 (for passenger) and 20 (for cargo planes) . It is just a policy. They don't have the powers to enact such laws without recourse to the ministry of aviation and besides they are doing it out of ignorance.
Focus should be on training of personnel, and not on age restriction because 70% of crashes are due to human errors and not age.
Recently the House of Representatives in a session passed a resolution calling for the sack of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Harold Demuren for professional negligence. They recommended the revocation of his professional license as well as criminal prosecution for criminal negligence. They called for the revocation of Dana Air's operating license as well as phasing the MD83 out of the Nigerian aviation industry due to the fact that the NCAA does not have a certified engineer type rated on the MD83.
I was dazed when the National Assembly misled Nigerians to belief that the Nigerian aviation sector is weak, that NCAA allows unfit aircraft to fly as well as negligence caused the Dana plane to crash.
The report on the Dana crash by the National Assembly is a distortion of fact meant to overheat the polity. It contradicts the ICAO standards which refrains individuals from commenting on the cause of a plane crash when the cause of the crash is yet to be determined by the relevant accident investigation authorities. The legislature have the power to make laws and not to investigate plane crashes. The power of investigating lies with the Accident Investigation Bureau.
I am not bothered about the calling for the sack of Demuren but the most annoying about the recommendation is the fallacies and lies the National assembly is throwing to the general public. They are only creating more problems rather than solving it.
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| Dana Air |
First of all on the revocation of the Dana Air, The House does not have the power or authority to carry out investigation on plane crashes. Their power is to make laws. That power is vested in the Accident investigation bureau. The whole exercise on the industry is nothing but a mere put a mere public relation exercise meant to show that the legislature cares about the people. The report called for the revocation of Dana's license. If a plane crash can cause an airline's license to be revoked, there will be no major airline flying in the world. The investigations to the Dana crash is yet to be released and calling for the airline's revocation of its license is uncalled for just because of a crash. I sympathize with the victims of the crash who are angry over the decision to allow Dana to operate. Industry standards is more important any emotional sentiments. The airline's operating license shouldn't have being withdrawn at the first place. In America, Europe and other developed parts of the world, airlines involved in plane crashes never had their operations suspended or their license revoked. So why is the National assembly trying to create more problems in the name of promoting air safety. I am not defending Dana in anyway. What I am trying to point out is that revoking an airline's license because of a crash is against industry standards even when the reports on the cause of the crash is not yet out. Even if the investigation report is released and Dana is indicted, it does not make any difference. In developed parts of the world, airlines that are found wanting in safety are heavily fined or have their airplanes grounded for a while until they meet their safety standards and not having their license revoked.
In May 25 1979, an American Airlines McDonnell Douglass DC-10 crashed after its left engine detached from the wings during its takeoff roll and crashed killing all the 271 on board the airplane as well as two on ground. The cause of the crash was faulty maintenance carried on the the plane weeks before the crash against the recommended method of maintaining the airplane type. American was fined $500,000 for their negligent act. The amount was large at that time.
In January 31, 2000, an Alaska Airlines McDonnell Douglass MD83 crashed into the pacific killing all the 88 on board. The airline was found to have cut corners with maintenance. Prior to the crash a staff of the airline raised the issue but was fired by the airline. The airline was fined too and it is still flying today.
On the issue of phasing out the the MD83, the allegation was that the MD was too old to fly and that more so the it has being phased out by American and other part of the world as well as non availability of engineers type rated on the aircraft in the NCAA. The report is misleading and a complete misrepresentation of facts.
American Airlines is the largest operator of the MD83 aircraft in the world with about 82 in its fleet, it is closely followed by Allegiant with a fleet of 46. The airplane is also used in other parts of the world in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Mitt Romney, the US Republican Presidential candidate used an MD83 built in 1990.
On the issue that there are no certified engineers type rated on the MD83 in the NCAA, it is unbelievable. However even if there are no engineers type rated for the airplane, can't they be trained?
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| Mitt Romney's MD83 |
If age was, new airplanes would not have being involved in plane crashes. But crashes involving new airplanes have shown that buying a new aircraft does not guarantee flight safety. For instance in 1989, a British Midland Boeing 737-400 crashed after a fan blade broke in its engine, the plane was months old and the pilot erroneously switched off a functional engine. In 1994, an Aeroflot Airlines Airbus A310-300 crashed after the pilot's son turned the plane killing every one onboard. In 2007 a Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800 crashed killing all onboard; the plane was just 5 months old. In 2009, an Air France Airbus A330-200 crashed killing all the 228 on board. All the aforementioned crashes involving these airlines were due to pilot errors.
It natural for laymen and ignorant people to equate so called old airplanes with molues and danfos . Just like aging airplanes we have aging equipments and personnel.
It is unfortunate that both houses have passed a resolution limiting the age of aircraft to 15 (for passenger) and 20 (for cargo planes) . It is just a policy. They don't have the powers to enact such laws without recourse to the ministry of aviation and besides they are doing it out of ignorance.
Focus should be on training of personnel, and not on age restriction because 70% of crashes are due to human errors and not age.
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