Sirika explains aircraft exit door mechanics appeals to air travelers

MINISTER of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika yesterday explained the mechanics of the aircraft exit doors stating that an aircraft door cannot be opened during flight because the door is pressurized.

He also seized the opportunity to appeal to the air travellers showing empathy on the situation they may have faced but assuring them that it is nothing major.

Sirika, a pilot said the aircraft manufacturers designed the doors in such a way that they remain closed during flight.

He said, “It is very quite traumatizing for an air traveler after landing to see an emergency door falling inside the aircraft. It can be very traumatizing, very uncomfortable and very scary. We reason with them. We agree it is so. We apologize for the mishap but I want to just explain to those who are non-aviators that because of the way aircraft are built, of that size and of that kind of operations, the aircraft are pressurized and by pressurizing the cabin of the aircraft will force those doors to remain closed in flight at altitude. That’s why the emergency door did not fall in the sky.”

“On purpose manufacturers designed those doors to remain closed in flight and by nature because of pressurization, they remain so locked. Now the airplane landed in Abuja, during taxiing, the door fell inside. It is considered as a minor incident. ”

“It is a minor incident in aviation because that is what ICAO designed it to be. Any incident that involves the loss of life or serious damage to aircraft or injury becomes an accident.”

“Now that is well documented and NCAA is presently investigating it and the reason why NCAA is investigating is because it falls within their purview to investigate minor incident of this nature. If it had been serious accident or serious damage to the aircraft it would have been the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) investigating it.”
“I’ve been following up since yesterday when I learnt of it with NCAA. They are investigating it and within very few hours, within one day also, they will come out with a report and we will explain to Nigeria what happened. And I want to use this opportunity to say that what has happened though very scary and uncomfortable, it is an incident that is minor and that kind of thing would not happen in-flight at altitude as to cause an accident or serious degree incident. ”

“So we thank God for that. The airlines ate being investigated and NCAA is doing its job and I cannot be preemptive of their investigation and the investigation and I hope the investigation would not last longer than a day or two,” he said.