NTSB, ICAO collaborate to salvage AIB

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) recognises the important role that eff ective training will play in the pursuit of its pressing objectives by enlisting international organisations to train its technical personnel to make them knowledgeable, fl exible, dedicated, and effi cient while exercising good judgment, reports IME AKPAN

In civil aviation, accidents and incidents, whether serious or not, form part of the mix.
And as long as aviation industry exists, accidents and incidents will occur.
Th e causes will be studied and changes will be implemented to make sure that accidents do not happen that way again.
Th is will reduce commercial accidents to a very low rate.
To achieve the foregoing, training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all employees.
And this is what the Accident and Investigation Bureau (AIB) has done by enlisting the National Transport safety Board (NTSB), the International Civil Aviation Organisation to grow the professionalism of its (AIB’s) accident investigators.
Th e commissioner of AIB, Mr. Akin Olateru said the agency under his watch “has made capacity development one of its cardinal programmes and has been galvanizing several quarters and partnering various global organisations to ensure that investigators are adequately trained.
” Speaking recently in Lagos at the close of a workshop facilitated by NTSB and ICAO Olateru AIB’s collaboration with the two organistaions was informed by the need to train accident investigators for optimal performance.
Th e workshop sought to deepen the knowledge, and sharpen the skills of the participants drawn from AIB, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), domestic airlines and members of the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA).
Tagged ICAO Accident/Incident Investigation Workshop, it took the participants through various aspects of accident investigation including Annex 13 guidance materials; investigating organizational factors and human performance; records investigation; investigating rotorcraft accidents and incidents; on-site investigation and fl ight recorders.
Th e training also covered fi re investigation, managing large scale accident and incident investigation, emergency response and record investigation among others.
Th e facilitators included the managing director of NTSB, Mr.
Dennis Jones who for many years was the NTSB representative in Africa and Mr.
Andre de Kock from ICAO.
“Th is is the outcome of the meeting I had with the NTSB in the United States of America, its counterparts from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and others.
At the workshop, the participants were trained on strategy, taken through the various aspects of accident investigation including Annex 13 guidance materials, investigational organizational factors and human performance,” said Olateru at the end of the workshop.
Olateru disclosed that 18 accident investigators who were recruited since 2013 were never trained adding that the essence of the workshop was not only for training but also to provide the opportunity todiscuss with the staff and share ideas.
To further the training, he said 22 AIB staff would leave for the United State for on-the-job-training in accident investigation at NTSB.
“As a follow up to the classroom experience, AIB investigators trained at the workshop would be constituted into two teams and would proceed on ‘on the job training’ (OJT) with NTSB in the United States and the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) in Singapore.
While the fi rst team proceeds to the NTSB sometime in October 2017, on their return the next team would proceed to Singapore in November 2017,” he said.
Continuing, Olateru said: “We are very pleased to be partnering with ICAO and NTSB on this important training.
We value the cooperation and technical assistance we have been receiving from these organizations, which would greatly complement our eff orts to make AIB formidable.
Capacity development, infrastructural improvement, system and process re-engineering remain our focus in making sure that AIB contributes meaningfully to aviation safety for the common good of all.
“Capacity building is so vital to AIB’s job functions.
Th is guarantees that all reports and safety recommendations issued out by AIB is hoisted on the certainty that they do not miss out any vital subject matter in their investigations that impacts safety.
Consequently, practical hands-on training which is what on-the-job-training is all about cannot be ‘one too many’, when it comes to training.
“As a matter of fact, NTSB over 500 Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) or black boxes annually.
Th is is without a doubt one of the best environments to learn from; aff ording real case studies, in real time, with up to date world standard equipment’s/laboratories and among the best trained and qualifi ed investigating professionals.
” In his remarks, Jones, Mr. Dennis Jones applauded AIB for having a robust accident investigation programme compared to other investigation agencies in Africa.
“I would say that I have been in over 30 countries in Africa on accident investigation; Nigeria’s AIB has a robust programme.
I have been in the workshops around the region; we actually invited Nigerian accident investigators to come, teach others, and show others about the programme here in Nigeria.
In many ways, it has been an exemplary programme for accident investigation for other regions,” said Jones.
On accident rate on the African continent, the NTSB chief said it “has reduced compared to the 90s and 2000 when it was very high.
” He attributed the reduction rate in air accidents to a lot of measures being put in place to reduce the occurrence.
He recalled that there was high accident rates in Africa in 1990s and 2000s, but noted that the situation had changed in recent time.
“I can’t speak on the statistics.
However, I have been coming here (Nigeria) for a few years.
All over the world, accident rates have reduced very signifi cantly from the statistics generated by international organisations including my agency.
Accident rates in this part of the world have come down very signifi cantly over the years.
“Back in the 1990s and 2000s, it was high, but there have been a lot of safety eff orts by several organisations including Nigeria to make things safer and to ensure that we improve safety in the system.
Th is is unlike the past.
In fact, other parts of the world now have higher rates of accidents than Africa,” said Jones.
He disclosed that NTSB had investigated 145,000 accidents and made 14,500 safety recommendations since the agency was set up.
He said NTSB would continue to cooperate with ICAO and other international bodies to improve safety in the global aviation industry.
Similarly, AIB partnered with Singapore civil aviation, BAGAIA and ICAO to train its (AIB’s) the technical personnel on the use of fl ight safety laboratory located at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Olateru said Nigeria decided to call on Singapore for the training of its personnel on the equipment as the Asian country has the same equipment.
“We wrote to Singapore because they have the same equipment as ours and graciously, they have agreed to support us with the required manpower and training.
Th e team will be in Abuja to train us on how to get the best out of this equipment,” he added.

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