The Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N) said it has suspended further investigation into the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash that killed the Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, and others in Kaduna State May last year.
AIB-N had submitted the preliminary report some eight months ago.
Briefing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the Commissioner and CEO of the AIB-N, Engr. Akin Olateru, said they couldn’t continue with the investigation because the military wasn’t forthcoming with additional information to enable it to proceed.
He also said the agency is procuring the technology to enable it to digitise its aircraft accident reporting capability. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the procurement of the Advanced Report Generation Utility Engine (ARGUE).
Olateru said the technology, although being developed by a Canadian firm, will enable it to report aircraft accidents in graphics and animation, adding that the innovation being the first globally is already attracting the Saudi Arabian accident investigation bureau.
He said the procurement contract will soon be awarded once they get the official conveyance from FEC via the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika from the procurement to commence.
AIB-N at the event also released three final accident reports: the first is a serious incident involving a Max Air Limited Boeing 747-400 aircraft in Minna airport on 7th September, 2019. The second was a serious incident involving Nigeria Police Airwing Cessna Citation 560 XLS aircraft at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Airport, Bauchi on 3rd October, 2018, and The Final Report on a serious incident Azman Air Boeing 737-500 aircraft at Port Harcourt airport on 3rd January, 2019.
