Flint Aero plane which crash landed with Power Minister, Adelabu, violated its permit —Report

Flints Aero Services Ltd., the airline that transported Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, from Abuja to Ibadan Airport and crashed landed in November, has been indicted in a preliminary report produced by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

The airline was accused of breaking the terms of its Air Operator Certificate, which was granted by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, and the study found that the crew lacked adequate expertise in nighttime flight operations.

The incident of November 3 at Ibadan Airport happened during an attempt to land and involved Adelabu along with nine other people.

According to the NSIB report, the airline that flew the minister from Abuja to Ibadan Airport was granted a Permit for Non-Commercial Flight. This permit explicitly forbade the airline from using the aircraft to carry passengers, freight, or mail for pay or reward.

The incident happened as the charter flight, Flint, flying under an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan, took off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and headed for Ibadan Airport in the state of Oyo.

READ ALSO:Chartered plane carrying Power minister, Adelabu crash lands in Ibadan

The aircraft had a three-hour fuel endurance and could carry ten people in total, including two cockpit crew and one cabin crew member.

A statement by the Head of Public Affairs, NSIB, Mr Tunji Oketunbi, said that preliminary investigation by the bureau showed that the permit issued the airline stipulated that the aircraft would not be used for carriage of passenger(s), cargo or mail for hire or reward, but regretted that the airline violated the permit.

It said: “The flight departed Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for Ibadan Airport, Oyo state, as a charter flight on an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan. On board were 10 persons, including two cockpit crew and one cabin crew, with fuel endurance of three hours.

“Post-incident inspection of the aircraft confirmed substantial damage to the fuselage, the landing gear and flaps. The passengers disembarked without any injury while the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder were recovered in good condition and recordings were intact after the occurrence.

“Flints Aero Services Limited was issued with a Permit for Non-Commercial Flight. The PNCF issued to Flint Aero Services Limited stipulates that the aircraft shall not be used for carriage of passenger(s), cargo or mail for hire or reward.”

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