Players in the aviation industry have warned that fragmented reporting of accidents and serious incidents may undermine industry standards and integrity, OLUSEGUN KOIKI reports.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annexe 13, Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, specifies that air accident and serious incident investigations follow a strict, globally harmonised process designed to protect safety, ensure technical accuracy and prevent speculation.

ICAO also supports the early release of a preliminary accident or serious incident report, but does not prescribe a specific number of days for its release.

In releasing an accident or serious accident report, the body specifies the agency responsible for such reports. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is recognised by ICAO to discharge this duty.

The bureau is also responsible for issuing safety recommendations to prevent recurrence. Last week, a Qatar Airways flight QR 1406, operating from Lagos to Doha, made an air return to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, due to a “technical fault” that occurred mid-air.

The pilot of the aircraft, a Boeing 787-800 with 260 persons onboard – 248 passengers and 12 crew members, contacted the air traffic controllers (ATCs) on duty about the safety issue and requested an emergency landing, which was immediately granted.

The aircraft returned to Lagos airport without injuries to persons on board, while all passengers disembarked safely. But the aftermath of the incident has ignited an unpleasant debate in Nigeria’s aviation community, with many saying institutional boundaries, crisis communication and adherence to international aviation standards were not strictly followed.

A few hours after the “technical fault” and safe landing, the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA), one of the responders in case of any emergency within Lagos vicinity, released a press statement detailing the cause of the incident and issued a preliminary report on the serious incident.

LASEMA’s Director-General, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement, said LASEMA received distress alerts on its 767/112 toll-free emergency lines, concerning a distress aircraft.

He said that upon arrival at the airport, it was discovered that a passenger aircraft was distressed and had conducted a forced landing at the airport.

The Director-General said preliminary investigations conducted by the agency traced the immediate cause of the incident to a technical fault suffered by the distressed aircraft.

The statement added: “Primary investigations conducted by the agency’s response teams revealed the immediate cause of the incident was due to technical issues suffered by the distressed aircraft.

“The pilot executed a safe landing on the runway at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, with LASEMA Response Team and other emergency responders standing by on extreme high alert on the runway.

“Despite the technical issues and forced landing, the incident did not result in any significant damage to the aircraft. Collaborative efforts of the multi-agency responders were coordinated. After proper check by the pilot and the engineering crew, the aircraft was moved to the apron for detailed inspection and prompt repairs.”

The issuing of a “preliminary report” on the cause of the serious incident by LASEMA less than 10 hours after the occurrence is generating dust in the Nigerian aviation industry.
Some experts in the sector declared that the agency lacked the jurisdiction to speak authoritatively on the cause of an air incident and to issue a preliminary report.

They, however, agreed that LASEMA‘s involvement in aviation industry emergencies was a step in the right direction, as ICAO recognises external responders in the event of an emergency.

Also, in August 2023, the former Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), now the NSIB, under the leadership of its former Director-General, Akin Olateru, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with LASEMA as part of the first emergency responders in Lagos state.

According to Olateru, the partnership with LASEMA would further aid the accuracy of accident investigation, assist in securing crash sites and preserve evidence within Lagos State and outside the airport perimeter fencing. He, however, declared that the agency does not have any mandate under the law to investigate air accidents in the country.

Olateru mentioned ICAO Annexe 13 and the NSIB Act 2022, which empower the bureau to conduct investigations into accidents or serious incidents within the country.

He said: “Aviation is under the Exclusive List of the Nigerian constitution. LASTMA does not have the mandate to investigate air accidents or serious incidents. This is under the jurisdiction of NSIB.

“The MoU we signed with LASEMA is to assist us in securing accident sites outside of the airport. The MoU does not give LASEMA the right to take over the job of the NSIB.”

Also, speaking on the issue, the Director, Research, Zenith Travels Ltd, Olumide Ohunayo, said that aviation emergencies go beyond the airport environment. Ohunayo explained that victims of air accidents or incidents are, for instance, taken to hospitals outside the airport environment.

According to him, ICAO, through its annexes, added authorities outside the airport as parts of the responders and committees in case of accidents or serious incidents, but said such responders or committees could not issue reports on such incidents.

He added: “So, LASEMA’s role is clear and appreciated. If you have to deal with this outside the airport, then you still need the involvement of LASEMA. It happened when an aircraft dropped off in Opebi, Ikeja, a few years ago.

“I think the only error here is the press release from LASEMA, which was wrong and they have apologised. What the coordinating team needs to do is to go back again and address the lapses arising from the incident.

“The pilots of Qatar Airways didn’t contact LASEMA; they contacted the control tower, and the control tower activated the emergency response procedure by involving other parties. The team should just look at the rough edges in this incident, which was the communication, which they need to work on. When there is a communication gap, everyone wants to say something and that was what happened with LASEMA.”

Also, Mohammed Badamasi, a pilot with the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, said that the role of LASEMA was to coordinate all emergency services within Lagos State.

According to Badamasi, the LASEMA’s report document was merely an incident report, not a detailed technical report of the incident. He advised the NSIB to take the incident report from LASEMA and continue from where it stopped.

“Every report at the scene of an accident or incident, including eyewitness accounts, is used to determine the causes of an incident or accident investigation report,” he added.

Besides, John Ojikutu, a retired Lagos Airport Commandant, explained that airport authorities were the primary first responders within the aerodrome environment, operating under globally harmonised procedures.

According to him, inconsistent or uncoordinated public messaging could attract negative attention from ICAO safety oversight mechanisms.

“In aviation, perception is almost as important as performance. A conflicting narrative suggests weak command and control, even when operations were sound,” he added.