AIR DISASTER
Air disaster
is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an
occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place
between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight
until such time as all such persons have disembarked, in which a person is
fatally or seriously injured, the aircraft sustains damage or structural
failure or the aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible.
The first
fatal aviation accident occurred in a Wright Model A aircraft at Fort Myer,
Virginia, USA, on September 17, 1908, resulting in injury to the pilot, Orville
Wright and death of the passenger, Signal Corps Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge.
An aviation incident is defined as an
occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an
aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operations.
An accident
in which the damage to the aircraft is such that it must be written off, or in
which the plane is destroyed is called a hull loss accident.
AIR DISASTER RECORD IN NIGERIA 2007-2012
·
On October 29, 2007, an ADC Boeing 737 flight from
Abuja to Sokoto crashed killing 106 out of 114 on board. Among who died in the
crash were the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Maccido, his son, Senator
Badamasi Maccido, Garba Mohammed, then deputy governor of Sokoto State,
Abdulraham Shehu Shagari , son of second republic president, Alhaji
Shehu Shagari amongst others.
·
On November 10, 2007, an OAS Service Helicopter crashed in
Warri, Delta state killing 4 on board. In a similar development, on August 2,
2007, a Bristow-owned helicopter crashed inside ExxonMobil facility in
Port Harcout.
§
On March 15, 2008, a Beechcraft 1900D plane marked 5N-JAH,
belonging to Wing Aviation crashed in the mountainous forest of Busi in Cross
River State on its way to Obudu airstrip. The wreckage was not found until 6
months after the disappearance of the aircraft. All 4 man crew on board died.
§
On April 20, 2010, 97 passengers on board an Abuja bound Dana Air
plane lost an engine to bird strike shortly after takeoff at MMA. On July
30, 2011, an helicopter belonging to Ogendengbe Air Service crashed
on the Oke-Obanla hill inside the Osun State Government Reserve in Ikonifin, a
Pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Mrs Josephine Kuteyi,
and her Personal Assistant, Mrs Oyebola Okubanjo died in the crash.
§
On March 14 2011, a Nigerian Police aircraft crashed in Jos,
Plateau State. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of
Operations, Mr John Haruna, his orderly and the pilot died in the
crash. June 3, 2012: A Dana Air flight from Abuja to Lagos crashed
into residential buildings in Iju, near Lagos killing scores of
people.
§
On June 3 2012, a plane belonging to Dana Air crashed in Iju
, Lagos State. The plane coming from Abuja to Lagos with 152 persons on board
crashed into residential buildings and burst into flames. Like in previous
major plane crashes several lives were lost in the crash. Among those confirmed
in the ill fated Dana Air flight was Mr Levi Ajeonuma of the Nigeria National
Petroleum Corporation(NNPC).
PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO AIR DISASTER
Once an air traffic accident occurs, there is a risk
of it becoming a serious accident and every citizen has the possibility of
becoming involved in one. By comprehensively and vigorously promoting the
various measures in Section 2, the government is to prevent the occurrence of
air traffic accidents and continue to hold the record of no fatal accidents
caused by specified Japanese air carriers, which has been kept since 1986.
In order to address increasing air transport
volume, while ensuring the safety of air traffic, the government will promote
improvement of the air traffic environment by steadily promoting the
improvement of the New Air Navigation System as well as the improvement of the
airspace and air routes that facilitate more advanced air control based on the
system.
Specifically, the government will comprehensively
promote improvements to airports and aviation safety systems such as air
traffic control facilities and aviation safety facilities, based on the
Priority Plan for Social Infrastructure Development.
Furthermore, in order to deal more safely and
appropriately with air traffic, which is becoming more complex and large-scaled
with the development of the airports, there is a need not only to increase the
capacity of airspace but also to operate the limited airspace efficiently.
Taking this situation into account, the government will promote the improvement
of airspace vigorously.
2. Improving
aviation safety systems and improving services
To build air traffic systems that appropriately
respond to increasing traffic volume and the diversifying needs of users, while
prioritizing the security of air traffic safety, the government will steadily
promote improvement of the ”New Air Navigation System” including the Multi
Functional Transport Satellite(MTSAT)
As for existing aviation safety systems that would require ongoing improvement or update, the government will promote their effective usage, and implement a gradual elimination of ground navigation aid that can be reduced according to the progress of the shift to the New Air Navigation System.
As for existing aviation safety systems that would require ongoing improvement or update, the government will promote their effective usage, and implement a gradual elimination of ground navigation aid that can be reduced according to the progress of the shift to the New Air Navigation System.
The government will also make qualitative
improvement of the Air Traffic Service (ATS) offered to air transport companies
by effectively utilizing the existing stocks.
3. Improving
airspace
To upgrade air traffic control, the government will
carry out a drastic reorganization of the airspace and air routes utilizing the
ATM function and RNAV, and increase and effectively utilize the capacity of
airspace.
4. Improving
airports
A. Improving
major airports in large cities
To cope with the increasing demand for domestic and
international air services, the government will promote improvements to major
airports in large cities as a high-priority task. In addition, they will
promote necessary improvements to general airports, through measures such as
upgrading existing facilities. In order to ensure passenger safety, the
government will work to make air passenger terminal facilities
"barrier-free," by eliminating steps and by designing them to ensure
safe use by the elderly and disabled people, and promote universal-designs from
the viewpoint of achieving comprehensive and general environmental
improvements.
B. Improving
airport safety technology
To ensure air traffic safety, it is very important
that facilities such as runways are constructed strictly in accordance with
designated standards. In addition, facilities must be maintained and managed to
ensure that they are in perfect operating condition at all times. In view of
this, the government will improve airport safety technology that directly
influences air traffic safety. This includes measures to ensure air traffic
safety when construction work is in progress at airports, upgrading of airport
signaling facilities, checking for tarmac deterioration, maintenance to prevent
destruction of vital facilities, and measures to quickly remove and melt away
snow at airports where it snows.
Furthermore, the government will promote
investigations and studies aimed at actively introducing new airport safety
technology.
5. Enhancing the disaster measures of airports and
aviation safety facilities
Even in the South Hyogo prefecture earthquake and
the Mid Niigata prefecture earthquake, airport and aviation safety facilities
suffered only very minor damage. As a result, the facilities were able to
provide emergency transport and alternative transport for disrupted railway and
road services, as well as to serve as bases for restoration activities. In this
way, airports are required to maintain their functions even in times of
disasters. Therefore, the government will work to strengthen measures against
disasters for airports and aviation safety facilities.
The government will promote safety measures such as
establishment of a new fulltime auditing section and promotion of a shift from
ex-post measures to preventive safety administration. In addition, the
government will encourage transportation operators to establish a safety
management system that involves every level of operators, from the top management
to the operational sector, and introduce a “safety management assessment
scheme” in which the government will assess such a system, to secure aircraft
operational safety.
7. Strengthening supervision system for air
transport companies
In view of the increasingly complex and diverse
corporate structure of air transportation companies, the government will
strengthen the on-site inspection system drastically, and implement systematic
audits by grasping the status of safety and future risks of airliners. Also to
achieve professional and accurate audits, the government will improve training
for officials in charge of audits.
8. Shifting
emphasis to preventive safety administration
In order to prevent the occurrence of accidents and
serious problems, the government will promote preventive safety administration
to give instructions on safety measures to airliners and to review safety
standards by collecting and continually analyzing information on accidents,
incidents, mechanical problems and other aviation safety issues. In addition,
to prevent human errors, the government will examine the method of training
aviation workers and also introduce a certification system for proficiency of
aviation English to improve the communication skills of pilots.
9. Improving
the skills of aviation workers
Due to the growing demand for air services, the
demand for airline pilots in air transport services is expected to increase in
the long run. For this reason, the government will promote training of core
pilots for air carriers at the Civil Aviation College to ensure a stable supply
of pilots. At the same time, in order to maintain a high quality of pilots, the
government will provide sufficient guidance to air transport companies on their
in-house training for pilots.
The physical and mental health of aircraft crews is
another vital factor to ensure air traffic safety. This is why only doctors and
medical institutions designated by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and
Transport are authorized to conduct health examinations of aircraft crew. The
government will instruct these doctors and medical institutions through
seminars to apply evaluation criteria of examinations uniformly, while
requiring air transport companies to perform suitable daily health controls of
their aircraft crews. The government will also thoroughly disseminate
safety-related information to air transport companies and instruct them to
promote safety awareness.
10. Improving education for aviation safety
officers
The government will relocate and improve the
Aeronautical Safety College, which has suffered from aging facilities and
limited space, to enhance training of aviation safety officers in the future.
At the same time, to keep pace with the introduction and development of the
aeronautical satellite-based New Air Navigation System, the government will
review training courses and curriculums for these officers and improve training
facilities for them. Furthermore, the government will improve training systems
to adapt to changes in the aviation environment, such as globalization and economic
and social shifts.
11. Securing
the safety of foreign aircraft
For the purpose of securing the safety of foreign
aircrafts entering Japan, the government is implementing on-site inspections on
foreign aircrafts (ramp inspections) based on the Convention on International
Civil Aviation and the Civil Aeronautics Act (Act No. 231 of 1952), and will
expand the ramp inspections to include all air service operating countries and
all carriers that come into Japan.
12. Improving guidance on accident prevention of
small aircraft
To prevent accidents involving small aircraft, the
government will strengthen guidance on observation of all laws and relevant
regulations, comprehensive education and training of small aircraft operators,
and accurate understanding of meteorological conditions. The government will
also advise parties involved in the increasingly popular pursuit of aerial
recreations to prevent accidents, by working through relevant groups and
organizations. Furthermore, for rescue planes in the event of a natural
disaster, the government will work to improve measures to ensure their safe
operation in congested airspaces.
13. Promoting safety measures on aerial leisure
It is expected that the number of people
participating in aerial leisure activities such as flying ultra light planes,
paragliding, skydiving, flying gliders, and hot-air ballooning, will continue
to increase in the years ahead. In view of this, the government will improve
safety education through relevant organizations such as the Japan Aeronautic
Association, and other related sports organizations.
14. Improving safety standards for transportation
of hazardous materials
As a result of developments in medical technology,
the volume of radioactive materials being transported by air is increasing. The
quantity of hazardous materials being transported by air is also increasing,
and these materials are becoming more and more diverse, as developments in
chemical engineering give rise to new hazardous materials. To deal with this
issue, the ICAO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are improving
safety standards relating to the transport of hazardous materials. In
accordance with these international trends, the government will revise relevant
standards as necessary.
In addition, the government will advise air
transport companies on providing comprehensive education and training to
workers involved in transporting hazardous materials.
15. Improving aviation accident investigations
In order to contribute to prevention of aviation
accidents by performing prompt and appropriate investigations into the causes
of accidents and serious incidents, the government will try to enhance the
quality of investigators by improving the training of investigators and
actively exchanging information with overseas accident investigation bureaus,
and also work to improve analysis ability by utilizing various investigation
instruments.
16. Improving meteorological information for air
transport
The government will accurately understand any
weather conditions or natural phenomena which could influence air transport
safety, and make efforts to improve various qualities of aviation weather
information, such as meteorological forecasts and warnings for airports,
meteorological reports on airspaces, aviation forecast charts and volcanic ash
advisories, and to ensure appropriate timely announcements and prompt
conveyance of such information. Furthermore, facilities for observing weather
conditions and volcanic activities will be constructed as necessary, and maintenance
and improvement of those facilities will be promoted.
The government will work to improve aircraft safety
by promoting safety measures aimed at improving technical standards,
information collection and processing systems, and inspection systems.
18. Improving technical standards for aircraft and
equipment safety
To improve the safety of aircraft, the government
will collect, analyze and provide information relating to the safety of
Japanese aircraft, as well as safety assurance-related information obtained
from foreign governments and foreign manufacturers. At the same time, the
government will draw up improved safety standards to keep pace with
technological advances, and investigate technology that can be used to improve
safety.
19. Collecting information on aircraft safety and
improvement of processing systems
To deal with the increasing volume of air traffic,
the government will promote measures to prevent failures in equipment and
materials by improving the system to collect and process information relating
to the safety of aircraft.
Information relating to aircraft safety is released
to the public along with information on operation safety. The government will
examine the use of diverse media and improvement of the infrastructure for
publicizing information relating to aircraft safety.
20. Improving aircraft inspection systems
The government will improve inspections of aircraft
designs in type certification procedures for both domestically produced and
imported aircraft. They will then improve aircraft inspection systems by
guiding and supervising the private companies that check for conformity to
standards on behalf of the national government.
In addition, the government will try to improve the
quality of inspections by improving training for airworthiness engineers.
21. Improving aircraft maintenance examination
systems
To respond to the new entry of air transport
companies and the diversification of the maintenance systems by contracting
maintenance services, the government will improve their examination, guidance
and supervision system for aircraft maintenance.
In addition, the government will try to enhance the
quality of examinations by improving training for aircarrier airworthiness
engineers.
22. Improving measures for aging aircraft
The government will promote measures to deal with
aging aircrafts, in view of problem cases with aircraft manufacturers and
operators, and policy trends in other countries.
To deal promptly and effectively with air distress
incidents and other aircraft accidents, the government will improve rescue and
emergency service systems by promoting closer cooperation between relevant
organizations.
24. Improving search and rescue systems
To launch prompt and effective search and rescue
operations when aircrafts are in distress or missing, the Rescue Co-ordination
Center, a council formed by relevant administrative bodies, will work to
improve activity planning, training, and information collection and processing
systems, to deal efficiently with a wide variety of emergency situations. At
the same time, it will improve liaison and cooperation by improving the
performance of facilities.
25. Improving fire-fighting and emergency medical
systems
The government will work to improve fire-fighting
systems at Class 1 (Narita International Airport, Chubu International Airport,
Kansai International Airport and airports required for international routes)
and Class 2 airports (airports required for major domestic routes) managed by
the national government, in accordance with relevant international standards,
through measures such as providing for chemical fire engines as needed. The
government will also instruct the airport managers of the Narita International
Airport, Chubu International Airport, Kansai International Airport and Class 2
and Class 3 airports (airports required for securing local air transport)
managed by municipalities, to improve fire-fighting facilities by adopting
necessary measures, as mentioned above.
Also, to improve emergency medical systems at
airports, the government will proceed to provide appropriate medical equipment
and materials according to annual plans. At the same time, they will improve
cooperation with relevant medical institutions so that emergency medical
activities can be conducted smoothly and effectively.
Furthermore, to provide adequate fire-fighting and
emergency systems in municipalities close to airports, the government will
instruct the relevant fire-fighting bodies to improve their facilities and take
necessary measures. Also, to ensure that first aid treatment can be promptly
delivered when needed, the government will encourage airport officers to attend
first aid treatment seminars.
The government will strengthen support activities
for victims who claim damages, and promote measures that take into account the
feelings of the victims. Especially when a large-scale accident occurs, the
police, hospitals, local authorities and private victims support organizations
will work together to support victims.
The government will secure air traffic safety by
promoting R&D on air traffic safety and study for clarifying the causes of
air traffic accidents, and reflect their findings on safety measures promptly.
28. Promoting research and development into air
transport safety
The government will encourage independent
administrative organizations and other testing and research institutes to
conduct research and studies into; 1. Assessment of the capacity expansion and
safety of airspace and air routes, 2. Capacity expansion of congested airports,
3. Improvement of safety and efficiency by preventive safety technology and new
technologies, 4. The Satellite-based Augmentation System, 5. Air transport
management methods to achieve more efficient use of airspace, 6. Civil
engineering facilities of airports, such as runways for safer take-offs and
landings, 7. Technology for improving passenger cabin safety by providing
better protection in the event of an accident, and 8. Technology for detecting
air turbulence and other abnormal conditions from aircraft. In addition, the
government will promote comprehensive research and development efforts through
closer liaison and cooperation between relevant testing and research
institutions.
29. Promoting comprehensive investigations into
the causes of aviation accidents
To promptly and effectively determining the causes
of aviation accidents and serious incidents, the government will 1. Improve
flight record analysis technology, 2. Improve analysis technology using
simulators, 3. Improve the aviation material analysis technology, and 4.
Promote comprehensive study through the improvement of the accident report
database, and reflect the findings on clarifying the causes.
30. Establishing safety management systems and
implementing continuous measures
In order to ensure the safety of public
transportation by land, sea and air by disseminating safety awareness within
organizations of public transportation operators and building a climate for
safety, the government will obligate transportation operators of automobiles,
railways, vessels and aircrafts to develop Safety Management Manuals that state
the policies of business operations for ensuring transportation safety,
organization control and communication on safety in various sectors,
implementation of internal audits, and continual review and improvement of
business operations, as well as to appoint Safety General Manager. By driving
transportation operators to conduct top management-led autonomous and continual
review and improvement of business operations for securing the safety of
transportation through these measures, the government will encourage
transportation operators to build a safety management system that involves
every level of operator, from top management to the operational sector. At the
same time, the government will introduce Evaluation of Transport Safety
Management Posture by which the government will evaluate safety management
postures at management level.
31. Developing technology to prevent accidents
induced by human errors
Human machine systems will become increasingly
advanced and complex in the future by the sophistication and density growth of
transportation.
To prevent accidents caused by human errors, the government will not only introduce new advanced technological systems, but will also promote the development of technology to help persons operating public transportation to notice any hazardous conditions, and the development of technology to enable operation managers to understand the status of operation and provide appropriate support.
To prevent accidents caused by human errors, the government will not only introduce new advanced technological systems, but will also promote the development of technology to help persons operating public transportation to notice any hazardous conditions, and the development of technology to enable operation managers to understand the status of operation and provide appropriate support.
