By Kenneth Oboh

A new international study has found that poor training, weak communication, and lack of coordination were major factors that worsened airport emergency responses during two major air disasters in Africa.
The study, titled “Evaluating Human Factors in Airport Emergency Responses: A Case Study of West and North African Aviation Incidents,” was conducted by Godwin Uchechukwu Uke of the Catholic University of America; Olugbenga Olayinka Taiwo of Murray State University, Kentucky; Ayegba David Haruna of the University of Michigan, Dearborn; and Oluwatosin Philip Adeyemi of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Published in the International Journal of Science and Research Archive, the paper examined the 2005 Bellview Airlines crash in Nigeria and the 2010 Afriqiyah Airways crash in Libya. The researchers concluded that human factors, especially inadequate training, poor communication systems, and weak leadership, played decisive roles in how both emergencies were handled.

According to the study, the Bellview Airlines disaster in Nigeria exposed serious weaknesses in the country’s emergency management system. The crash, which claimed all 117 lives on board, led to hours of confusion as agencies struggled to locate the wreckage. Rescue operations were delayed because of poor communication between the airline, aviation regulators, and emergency responders.
The report stated that the Nigeria” response was hindered by the absence of integrated communication networks and inadequate preparedness among search-and-rescue teams. Coordination between military, police, and aviation officials was poor, and outdated equipment further slowed recovery efforts.

By contrast, the researchers found that Libya’s handling of the 2010 Afriqiyah Airways crash showed better on-the-ground coordination and faster mobilization of responders. Although the country lacked a formal emergency management framework, firefighters and medical personnel acted quickly to contain the situation and assist survivors.

The study noted that Libya’s swift response was due largely to effective on-site leadership and improvisation. However, it also revealed that the country’s emergency systems relied heavily on manual communication and inconsistent safety procedures.

The team used the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) to identify recurring patterns of human error in both incidents. These included unsafe actions, fatigue, lapses in situational awareness, and poor supervision. The findings showed that many of these issues were rooted in weak safety oversight and lack of regular emergency drills across African airports.

The researchers highlighted that communication breakdowns often turned small delays into major crises. During the Bellview response, conflicting information and unclear instructions contributed to disorganization. In Libya, responders compensated for the lack of formal systems through direct coordination and quick decision-making.

Leadership was another critical issue. The report observed that in Nigeria, the absence of clear command led to confusion and conflicting directives, while in Libya, strong field leadership improved the response despite limited resources.

The authors recommended that African aviation authorities adopt regular, realistic emergency drills and invest in modern communication infrastructure. They also urged the integration of leadership and human factors training into airport safety programs.

“Human factors had a significant influence on how emergency responses unfolded in both incidents,” the study concluded. “Training, communication, and organizational readiness were inadequate in one case and reactive in the other, but proactive human performance made a measurable difference.”
The research calls for a shift In aviation safety culture across Africa—from reactive to preventive. It emphasizes that beyond technology and infrastructure, effective crisis response depends on how well people are trained, how clearly they communicate, and how decisively they lead when disaster strikes.

The study’s findings provide a roadmap for policymakers and airport authorities seeking to strengthen emergency preparedness and response across the continent’s rapidly growing aviation sector.