Posted by By Ndubuisi Francis in Lagos and Chuka Oditta in Abuja on
Hopes of recovering the Black boxes of the ill-fated Bellview flight B210 aircraft which crashed on October 22, 2005 in Lisa Village of Ifo, Ogun State killing 117 passengers and crew on board dimmed yesterday as investigators left the site of the air mishap without finding the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).
Hopes of recovering the Black boxes of the ill-fated Bellview flight B210 aircraft which crashed on October 22, 2005 in Lisa Village of Ifo, Ogun State killing 117 passengers and crew on board dimmed yesterday as investigators left the site of the air mishap without finding the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).
Instead, the investigators recovered some strips of the encasement of the vital gadgets which were already disfigured due to impact of the elements. The FDR and CVR are designed to give information on a flight as well as the communication between the pilot and air traffic controllers.
The import of the non-recovery of the FDR and CVR is that investigations into the crash may be protracted.
Head of the investigating team of the Bellview B737-200 crash and Director, Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB) in the Ministry of Aviation, Engr. Angus Ozoka who gave an update on the crash, told newsmen in Lagos yesterday that the investigators, both foreign and local, have concluded their assignment on the site.
"We were not able to recover the black boxes, Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice recorder although we found some strips of the casing. But the investigation will proceed with or without the black boxes although it is likely to take a longer time", he said.
Ozoka who displayed the casing of the black boxes which were disfigured, apparently as a result of effect of the elements, stated that "under normal conditions, the FDR and CVR have the shape and colour (orange) being displayed but may have suffered serious disfiguration from the impact it suffered".
He appealed to "anyone who stumbles into an object that is strange to them to report same to us for examination."
Ozoka whose briefing was done at the hangar of the Navigation Aids Flight Inspection and Surveillance (NAFIS) unit at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos where all the recovered parts of the crashed plane were laid out, said all the parts picked were displayed to match with their actual position in the actual aircraft.
The completely wrecked aircraft parts which oozed out stench of decomposed bodies were vertically laid out, ranging from the nose, the wings, fussilage to the tail.
He stated that the parts were being laid out so that some study could be carried out on them with a view to unravelling the cause (s) of the mishap.
"The site investigations have been concluded today (yesterday) although we (investigators) shall not hesitate to return to the site if there are new findings or developments. In view of the above, the site is being handed back to the Ogun State Government
"The next phase of investigations is lengthy and involves the examination of documents and collection of information to be obtained from various sources and this phase will take place here in Nigeria by AIPB officials and in the USA by our American counterparts although we shall maintain regular contacts, including visitations as required", the head of the investigating team said.
In the event that the FDR and CVR are not recovered at all, investigators may rely on accident debris, load sheets, eyewitness accounts and land sketches, among others, to uncover the cause (s) of the air mishap.
Factors that commonly cause air crashes around the world include human (pilot) error, sudden failure of system, inappropriate carriage of dangerous goods, faulty air traffic instructions, non- observance of recommended procedures and adverse meteorological conditions.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air traffic Controllers' Association (NATCA) has said there is an urgent need for a better coordinated and responsive search and rescue system than what is presently obtainable in the country.
NATCA President, Joyce Nkemakolam who briefed newsmen in Lagos weekend noted that with the recent Bellview air crash, it had become imperative for all stakeholders to come together to develop an effective system based on a cutting-edge technology that is readily accessible and clear guidelines on stakeholders responsiblities.
"Surely, this monumental tragedy was bound to elicit all kinds of reaction from all strata of the society. Most of these reactions from a broad cross section of the people were borne out of the genuine concern for the safety and well being of the teeming air passengers that throng our airports in the pursuit of their legitimate aspirations. Some of the reactions expressed constructive critique of the aviation industry and went ahead to proffer solutions to the identified weaknesses and deficiencies of the system", he said.
Nkemakaolam observed however that some of the reactions were however not borne out of purely altrusitic motives and concern for the sustenence of the aviation industry or the safety of passengers.
In another development, the National Emergency Manage-ment Agency (NEMA) has issued an ultimatum of February 2009 to all ship and airline operators in the country to instal the 406 Mega Hert (MHz) beacon for effective search and rescue duties.
This is in line with current international practice for identifying location of distressed aircraft or sea vessels for purposes of effective rescue operations during an emergency.
Head of Media and Public Relations of the agency, Mr. Abiodun Oladunjoye, gave this indication in Abuja while speaking on efforts by the agency to enhance search and rescue operations as well as reduce air or maritime mishap.
He said although search and rescue operations are not
the core responsibilities of NEMA, the agency however believes that effective co-ordination of activities of all stakeholders is crucial to enhancing safety both in the aviation and maritime industies. Oladunjoye explained that by February 2009, the Cospas
Sarsat Satellite System (satellite aided tracking device for search and rescue) installed at the agency's headquaters in Abuja will no longer process the 121.5 Mega Hertz system due to its analog nature.
According to him, the period of time before the expiration of the ultimatum is to enable stakeholders ample time to conveniently phase out the 121.5 which he said is no longer in use in developed countries.
He noted that the 121.5 beacon is an emergency or danger alert device that functions only within 20kms of position, but noted that the 406MHz especially those fitted with in-built global positioning system have capacity to locate distressed aircraft or vessels up to 120 meters on the agency's mission control center (MCC). The 406 beacon, he also said, has capacity to identify sender of signal among other features.
On why the air crash site was handed back to the Ogun State Government, Ozoka who was with two officials of the state government noted that since the accident occurred within the state, it was proper to hand the site back to the government. He added that President Olusegun Obasanjo had earlier declared that the site would be converted into a national monument.