Minister of State, Aviation
Report is unproven, says NCAA
You did a lazy job, trying to cover up , alleges Air Peace
The reported incident of an abortive attempt at burgle into an Air Peace’s aircraft on holding while attempting takeover at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos has generating arguments between the airline and industry regulator, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
While the airline alleged the cargo hold of its aircraft was opened into and the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) of its Flight no. APK 7138 with aircraft no. 5N-BUJ alerted the Lagos Control Tower of the incident, NCAA has responded by saying that it discovered that the allegation that after its investigations was unfounded and should be discountenanced by all.
The NCAA’s verdict however prompted Air Peace to describe the reports of NCAA’s investigations as a lazy and “shoddy job at cover-up.
NCAA in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Sam Adurogboye said that it arrived at the conclusion after reviewing reports from the relevant agencies concerning the incident and which indicated that the airline’s claim was unproven.
According to NCAA, “Last week, there were reports that the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) of Air Peace Flight no. APK 7138 with Aircraft no. 5N-BUJ had alerted the Lagos Control Tower that the Aircraft’s AFT Cargo Compartment has been opened.
“According to the Pilot in his report to the Tower, he noticed that the Cargo Compartment light came up for 15 seconds and went off. This means someone has opened the compartment’s door.
“The Air Traffic Controller on duty confirmed receiving the report at about 1933hrs (1833GMT).
“In line with Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs), Aviation Security personnel were at the Holding Point of Runway 18R monitoring the departure/take off of both Air Peace and Arik Air aircraft,” NCAA stated,
Adurogboye continued, “The PIC alarm triggered an immediate response. The Escort team overtook the Arik aircraft for a more proximate field look and access to the Air Peace Aircraft.
“On full speed, with the full lights on, no person(s) was found within the vicinity of the aircraft. Importantly, the Arik aircraft which was on queue immediately after the Air Peace aircraft was similarly put on observation at this point.
“The Arik Air aircraft also had its full complement of lights on towards the Air Peace aircraft having being aware of his counterpart’s conversation with the Tower. With benefit of this full view, neither movement nor any sign of person(s) was sighted around the aircraft.”
“Thereafter the Air Peace PIC requested to taxi back to the Apron at D45 to check if anything had been stolen. In addition, he wanted to clear his doubts that a bomb may have been thrown into the aircraft.
“At D45, the Airport Chief Security called the NPF-EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team who reported with their equipment at about 2026hrs.
“Passengers were disembarked at 2028hrs. The EOD team joined by FAAN’s Aviation Security and Air Peace Security conducted a search on the Cargo compartment and the passenger cabin of the aircraft.
“The search was completed at about 2055hrs and the aircraft was declared safe by the EOD Team leader.
“The Air Peace PIC therefore briefed the passengers of the EOD’s all clear decision and that the service shall be operated. All passengers re-boarded and the aircraft was escorted to the holding area for take – off by the Escort teams from FAAN AVSEC and the Military Airside Patrol.
“The flight departed and landed safely at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“Therefore, against this background, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) came to the conclusion that the Runway 18R burglary report is unproven, largely unsubstantiated and therefore should be discountenanced,” NCAA ruled.
Reacting through its Corporate Communications Manager, Chris Iwarah, to NCAA’s statement and verdict on the incident, Air Peace which maintained its earlier position on the incident, alleged that NCAA did not do thorough investigations on the reports before arriving at its conclusion which it described as a lazy and “shoddy job at cover-up.
According to Air Peace, “While we remain unwilling to be drawn into unnecessary controversy with agencies that ought to have been jolted into action from their slumber by patriotic information as we did on the incident, we are compelled to say the purported report by NCAA is both a lazy and shoddy job at cover-up,” Air Peace said..
It added, “The conclusion by NCAA suggesting that our information on the incident was a false alarm absolutely lacks a basis. From the report, it is clear that the only reason for NCAA’s dismissal of the very serious security breach was the claim that when an aircraft of another airline beamed its lights after our pilot alerted the control tower to the incident, the suspected thieves were not seen. We need to reiterate that our pilot’s call to control tower was made after the rear cargo hold of our aircraft was opened and shut after fifteen seconds. We, therefore, begin to wonder whether NCAA expected the suspected thieves to be there waiting after opening and shutting the cargo hold within a space of fifteen seconds.”
The airline which challenged NCAA on not reaching out to some of the passengers on board the flight to collect evidence during its investigation, alleged that NCAA “decided, once more, to go its usual path – deny, dismiss and protect themselves from the truth.”
Air Peace which insisted that the incident on its aircraft attracted the attention of even passengers on board the flight, therefore enjoined the regulator to treat complaints of security breaches with all seriousness it deserved rather than covering up.
“The light indicating that the cargo hold was opened did not only come up in the cockpit, both guests on board the aircraft and our crew were also attracted by the sound of the cargo hold when it was opened. We will like to advise the NCAA and its collaborators to treat complaints of security breach at our airports with the seriousness they deserve rather than this culture of baseless denial and attempt at cover-up. As members of the public may recall, similar incidents reported recently were also dismissed without a basis,” it stated.
