Stakeholders drum support for single accident reporting system for investigative accuracy

• As AIB-N sets for digitized reporting system before 2021 end

SINGLE accident investigation reporting system has been advocated for adoption by stakeholders as a measure to checkmate airlines that are in the habit of hiding serious incidents from the Accident investigation Bureau (AIB-N) as well as ensure there are no inconsistencies in the reports.

This is just as the AIB-N by the end of 2021 is set to launch to a digitized reporting system, which no country in the world has attained as far as accidents and incidents investigation and prevention reporting is concerned.

These were revealed during the opening of a two-day Industry Engagement on the Review of Accident Reports organized by AIB-N in Abuja on Wednesday  where observed that the trend of operators  hiding serious incidents to their machines from AIB-N would not progress the sector.

The single accident reporting system ensures that once an incident takes place and it is logged in all parties including  Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), AIB-N and airline operators would be immediately notified and this would prevent inconsistency in reporting.

A representative from the NCAA, Engr. Godwin Balang, who spoke backed the single reporting system, which he said should be made mandatory and accessible to all players in the Nigerian aviation industry.

He also canvassed for the use of checklists by all operators to ensure accuracy in the system.

AIB-N’s Capt. Taiwo Fatugase who also spoke explained that AIB-N has changed the face of serious incident and accident reporting in the industry and has been able to improve safety in Nigeria.

Commissioner, AIB-N  Engr. Akin Olateru,  who disclosed that before the end of the year the Bureau would introduce digital reporting system said the move was set to change the face of serious incident and accident reporting system in Nigeria by improving on International Civil Aviation Organisation, Annex 13 .

According to him, AIB-N before the end of the year would introduce digital reporting system, which would be web-based, graphics and animated style, saying that this would further ease safety recommendation reports.

Olateru emphasised that when this comes onboard, Nigeria would be the first country in the world to adopt the system, stressing that the bureau had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia on this, while the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was also being carried along.

He said: ‘AIB-N will very soon be in the world news. We are going the extra miles to come up with different reporting style from the Annex 13, which gives us the right to investigate serious incidents and accidents in the sector.

‘We need to move to the 21st century of accident reporting. With the new style we are coming up with, AIB-N will be the first organization in the world to improve on the Annex 13. We are already discussing with ICAO and we are at the procurement stage at the moment. However, we hope to start the new system before the end of the year.