Yemisi Izuora.
A team of accident investigators from Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has left Lagos for São Tomé to commence investigation into the crash of a An – 74 aircraft, which occurred last week on the West African island.
The invitation to Nigeria’s AIB came from São Tomé and Principe through the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA), which is an arm of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. All costs and expense associated with the said investigation would be borne 100 per cent by the government of São Tomé and Principe.
This is a “first of its kind” in AIB’s history, and coming on the heels of the rising performance profile of the Bureau and its determination to be preeminently relevant as a leader in accident investigation across the Sub Saharan region.
The An-74 was performing its takeoff run in favorable weather on runway 29 at Sao Tome when at some point one or multiple birds collided with the aircraft.
The Russian aircraft, whilst doing an aborted take-off reportedly ran beyond the end of the runway where it fell down an embankment and was damaged beyond repair. Although the aircraft was badly damaged, all the six crew members survived with injuries.
The accident aircraft was on a return flight to Europe after it arrived at Sao Tome from Stavanger (Norway), Luxemburg and Ghardaia (Algeria). The only runway at Sao Tome is 2,160 meters (7,087 ft) in lengh and has only limited overrun capabilities.