Bellview, ADC crash probes not yet concluded - AIB boss
By Onyedi Ojiabor 16 hours 22 minutes ago
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More than six years after the crash of Bellview and ADC lines investigations into the cause of the accidents have not been concluded, Commissioner for Investigation, Accident Investigation Bureau, (AIB) Captain Shuiabu Mukhtar Usman, revealed on Wednesday.
Usman spoke at the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee sitting investigating the June 3 crash of Dana Airline in Lagos.
He noted that while the Bellview and ADC crash investigations were still on-going investigation into the cause of the 2006 crash of Sosoliso Airline had been concluded.
Perhaps to explain why the investigations had taken unduly long time, Usman told the shocked committee members that the Bellview black box was never recovered.
He added that the investigation was at its concluding stage.
Usman did not however say when the investigations would be concluded and how the probe of the Bellview crash is progressing in the absence of the aircraft black box.
He did not say why the ADC investigation is equally taking undue time to be concluded.
Asked why black box of crashed aircraft has to be taken to the United States, he said that Nigeria lacked the capability to analyze and decode aircraft black box.
He said that they needed $5.6 million to set up a laboratory that could decode black box.
Usman said that they have started investing money on setting up the laboratory and that it might be ready next year.
The Co-Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejiocha, who was taken aback by the revelation of the AIB boss, wondered whether investigation into the cause of the crash of Dana Airline would take seven years.
Onyejiocha also said that the request of the Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah, that the Committee investigation should be postponed pending the conclusion of investigation by AIB could not be tenable.
She wondered whether the National Assembly should wait for seven years to investigate the crash.


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/50913-bellview-adc-crash-probes-not-yet-concluded-aib-boss.html