By Lawani Mikairu

The Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, yesterday released a report on the Accident involving Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Bell 427 helicopter with registration 5N-POL at Kabong, Jos South LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria on the 14th of March, 2012 that killed a serving Deputy Inspector General, Operations, and said the flight crew, including the pilot, were not qualified to fly the aircraft.

Addressing aviation reporters at the Bureau’s headquarters in Lagos, yesterday, the AIB Commissioner, Engr Akin Olateru said investigation revealed that one of the  “Probable Causal Factors” was that the crashed helicopter pilot’s medical had expired as at the time of accident. The pilot  Simulator recurrency had also expired as at the time of accident. The  co-pilot was not type rated on the helicopter (Bell 427), and the engineer that released the aircraft prior to the flight had no type training and type rating on the aircraft type.

The AIB report on the police helicopter was one of the three accident reports released yesterday. Others are report on the serious incident to Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Tampico TB9 aircraft with registration 5N-CBC which occurred at Zaria Aerodrome, Kaduna,  on the 6th of October, 2008; and

AIB Bulletin on the Ground Collision incident involving two aircraft belonging to Air Peace Airlines Limited: Boeing 737-500 with registration 5N-BQR and Boeing 737-300 with registration 5N-BQP, which occurred close to Bay 4 of the Domestic Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria on the 20th of April, 2017.

According to the AIB report: “ The helicopter 5N-POL was operated by the NPF and was registered under the private category with the NCAA. All relevant stakeholders were notified”.

“On Tuesday 13th March, 2012, the flight originated from Abuja airport to Jos Prison Service football field as a ferry flight.