By Abubakar Yunus
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has identified concerns over the runway-end environment, control tower visibility and availability of meteorological information at Benin airport following the July 23 Enugu Air runway overrun.
In its preliminary report released over the weekend,the bureau issued four immediate safety recommendations to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The recommendations, numbered A-2026-039 to A-2026-042, concern the runway-end environment, control tower line of sight and availability of meteorological information.
The accident involved an Embraer ERJ 170-100LR aircraft with registration number 5N-ENR, operated by Enugu Air Limited.
The aircraft was operating scheduled passenger flight ENU4264 from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Oba Akenzua II Airport, Benin, when it landed on Runway 05 and subsequently overran the runway.
Five crew members and 63 passengers were on board.
The aircraft entered the unpaved area beyond the runway before striking approach-lighting installations and two fixed concrete structures associated with a decommissioned localiser installation.
All 68 occupants were evacuated safely using the aircraft’s emergency escape slide.
The first recommendation by NSIB requires the NCAA to ensure that FAAN removes the fixed structures of the decommissioned localiser installation located at the end of Runway 05 at Oba Akenzua II Airport, Benin.
According to the preliminary report, the second recommendation requires the NCAA to ensure that the control tower is positioned to provide an unrestricted view of all the movement areas of the aerodrome.
The third recommendation requires FAAN to provide a suitable control tower location for NAMA to ensure an unrestricted view of all the movement areas of the aerodrome.
The fourth recommendation requires NiMet to restore and maintain the serviceability of the weather information display equipment provided for operational use at the Benin control tower.
NSIB said the preliminary report was based on information gathered from witness statements, flight recorders, air traffic control communications and a preliminary inspection of the aircraft.
According to the bureau, the four recommendations were prompted by safety concerns relating to the runway-end environment, the control tower’s line of sight and the availability of meteorological information.
“The preliminary report also contains four immediate safety recommendations, A-2026-039 to A-2026-042, addressed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, concerning the runway-end environment, control tower line of sight and the availability of meteorological information,” the bureau said.
The NSIB said it would further assess the runway condition, including the implementation of the global reporting format (GRF) and runway condition report (RCR), as well as the collection, dissemination and use of meteorological and runway-condition information.
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