…To probe Associated Airline crash
… Crashed plane engine still in Nigeria – AIPB
The Senate on Tuesday summoned the Aviation Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, to appear before it to explain the state of the country’s aviation industry.
The upper chamber also said that Oduah would brief members about the resurgence of air crashes that have claimed hundreds of lives of Nigerians and others.
It mandated its Committee on Aviation to investigate the October 3 crash of Associated Airline in Lagos while conveying the remains of late former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu to Akure for burial.
Apart from Oduah, the Senate also invited Chief Executives of aviation paratatals to appear with the minister to answer questions on the state of the nation’s aviation sector.
The Senate said that it relied on Section 67(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which empowered it to invite any official of the government for questioning on national issues.
The lawmakers expressed frustration over incessant air disasters in the country.
Senators specifically took turns to lament the rot in the aviation sector and sought immediate steps to remedy the situation to avoid what they called “avoidable deaths” and destruction of property.
This followed a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West) entitled: “Crash of Associated Airlines airplane.”
Uzodinma noted “with ultimate sorrow” the unfortunate crash of the Associate Airlines propeller airplane EMB190 from Lagos to Akure on Monday October 3.
He also noted “with concern” that the plane bearing the remains of Agagu to Akure for burial crashed within the vicinity of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport barely a minute after takeoff from the domestic wing of the airport.
He observed that the ill- fated plane plunged to the ground shortly after flying over the perimeter fencing of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and moments later busted into flames.
The lawmaker said that apart from the remains of the former governor, there were 20 passengers on board the crashed plane “16 of whom have been confirmed dead” while four others sustained varying degrees of injury and receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau on Tuesday said the engines of the Embraer 120 aircraft have been moved to an undisclosed hangar at the Lagos airport.
According to the spokesman of the agency, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, the engines are being worked on as part of the ongoing probe into the cause of the crash.
Oketunbi said the engines may not be moved abroad, if investigations on its parameters are concluded in Nigeria by experts probing the crash.
He dismissed reports in some quarters that the aircraft engines have been flown to Brazil.
He said,” We are taking steps to advance the investigations into the crash. As at today we have moved the aircraft engines to an undisclosed hangar in Lagos Airport.
We are still examining the aircraft engines. The engines have not been flown abroad. It is the intensity of investigations that will determine whether they will be flown abroad.”
