AIB moves to get NCAA certification on drone deployment

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has commenced the process of certifying its drones with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) for the purpose of accident investigation.

The Commissioner/CEO of the bureau, Engr. Akin Olaterun, said that was why the bureau did not deploy drones for the last Friday’s Quorum Helicopter crash which occurred in Opebi area of Lagos.

Daily Trust reports that that the bureau recently trained some of its staff on the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) popularly known as drones, to aid accident investigation.

Speaking on Friday at the Gateway Forum organised by the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Olateru said once the bureau secures the requisite certification, its officers would begin to use it.

But he clarified that there was no need to deploy drones for the last crash where three crew members on board died.

According to him, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) deployed its drones to the crash site to gather some evidence.

The commissioner said the bureau would sign a memorandum of understanding with LASEMA to train their staff on what they are expected to do in the event of an air accident.

According to him, collaboration among all agencies of government is key to preparing for any eventuality. He said that was why the bureau forged partnerships with many agencies including the Nigerian Air Force and several others to deepen cooperation.

Olaterun said the bureau had concluded plans to build the AIB Training School at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the training of investigators and other industry experts especially from other parts of Africa.

He said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the training school which would save the country millions of dollars in foreign exchange if training is domesticated.