BY Olapeju Olubi
The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has raised concerns over the poor state of Nigeria’s emergency response and rescue infrastructure and said that pragmatic steps must be taken to fix things quickly.
NAAPE’s position was inspired by the recent crash of a Sikorsky SK76 helicopter with registration 5N-BQG, operated by East Wind Aviation that went down near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean in Port Harcourt, Rivers State last month.
The pilots’ body said there are critical gaps that could hinder timely and effective rescue operations that need to be urgently closed to better fortify the aviation industry.
Additionally, the association has called for the inclusion of its members (experienced pilots) on accident investigation panels, in line with global best practices, stressing that their expertise is essential for comprehensive and accurate assessments of crash causes.
The National President of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Engr.
Abednego Galadima stated these at a symposium organised by NAAPE themed: “The Imperative of Unionization in a Struggling Economy” in Abuja.
In his opening remarks, the NAAPE President emphasised that while the union had no intention of pre-empting the findings of the investigation panel regarding the crash, intelligence gathered suggested that the current infrastructure for emergency response and rescue remains far from optimal.
Abednigo also expressed sadness over the loss of the souls onboard the ditched chopper, which includes NAAPE’s Vice President, Captain Yakubu Dukas.
He said: “Without pre-empting the investigation that is ongoing, we want to urge the government to ensure that infrastructure for emergency rescue and response during accidents is top notch.
“From what we have gathered, it wasn’t optimal. We also want to call on the government to ensure that no stone is left unturned in investigating to see to the fact that every cause, both remote and distant cause of this accident is identified, the aim is to forestall future occurrences.”
He added: “It is important that while we await what the NSIB will come with, we also want to call on government as it is done in other climes that NAAPE be given an opportunity to have a representative on the investigation panel so that we can participate in the investigation from the beginning to the end of the exercise.”
