Though the two pilots who were the only passengers on board the aircraft marked 5N- SIK, F100 survived the crash, the supervising minister still ordered the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB) and other relevant agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.
According to the spokesman for Aviation Parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Dati, “The supervising Minister of Aviation, Dr Samuel Ortom, has ordered the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB) and other relevant agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.”
Meanwhile, all efforts to get comment from the management of the IRS airline in Lagos on the crash proved abortive. There was no response to all calls made to the Managing Director of the airline, Mr. Yemi Dada.
Until the Saturday crash, IRS airline was one of the few domestic airlines with good safety record.
It would be recalled that a Nigerian cargo plane operated by Allied Airline, attempting to take off from the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana on Saturday June 2, 2012, crashed and killed 10 people and injured an unspecified number of others.
The plane smashed through the airport’s fence before slamming into cars and a bus loaded with passengers on a nearby street, officials said.
The crash happened in an area near the Kotoka International Airport, which sits near newly built high-rise buildings, hotels and the country’s Defence Ministry.
AIB, Niger Republic probe plane crash
The Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB and the Ministry of Aviation, Niger Republic may jointly commence an investigation into the IRS Airlines plane crash which occurred in Ganla area of Niger.
AIB’s spokesman, Tunji Oketunbi, in a telephone interview with National Mirror yesterday, said that AIB and its Niger counterpart might jointly begin a probe of the crash.
One of the sons of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, Jamin, was one of the two pilots involved in the crash.
Oketunbi, however, noted that Niger Republic, as the venue of occurrence, has the jurisdiction to carry out investigation into the cause of the crash under the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO rules, Annex 13.
Besides, he said that Nigeria too, as a state of registration, equally has the right to be represented during the investigation.
“It is Niger that has jurisdiction over it. We can participate in the investigation, but just as an observer. Under ICAO Annex 13, it is the country of the crash that will investigate, but we can participate as an observer,” he stated.
According to the spokesman, “That is the state of occurrence (Niger) and it has jurisdiction over the crash. The crash would be investigated by the country of occurrence, unless the country of occurrence says it cannot do it and call for our help. But over there in Niger, they do not have an independent body for accident investigation.”
He, however, told our correspondent that the crashed Fokker 100 plane was still in Niger, adding that the authority was already discussing with the airline involved in the crash.
Also, he noted that the agency had got in touch with the two pilots involved in the crash and would commence investigation immediately from the Nigerian angle on the cause of the crash.
Source: http://www.yohaig.com
Jamil Abubakar
https://twitter.com/PilotJamboy
An IRS aircraft, which was returning from maintenance abroad, has crashed in Niger Republic, with two crew members on board, aviation sources said on Saturday.
The two crew, including the son of the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, survived the crash.
The plane, a Folker 100, with registration number 5NSIK, crashed at about 7:30 pm after it allegedly lost contact at Ganla.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria confirmed the incident. IRS Airlines is owned by Alhaji Ishiaku Rabiu.
The airline has not been flying because it has only one functional aircraft. It had wanted to fix the second plane to commence operation.
Sources:
http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com
http://theeagleonline.com.ng
http://newsdiaryonline.com
Jamil Abubakar, the first son of the Inspector General of Police survived a plane crash yesterday evening May 10th after the small plane he was co-piloting lost control and crashed in Ganla, Niger Republic.
The plane, an IRS airline, Folker 100, with registration number 5NSIK, was returning from maintenance abroad when it lost contact in Ganla and crashed. The two-crew members, including the IG's son survived the crash. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the crash yesterday.
