Late Taraba Governor Incompetent To Fly Crashed Plane – AIB

Danbaba, a fresh looking and agile
pilot before the tide turned

Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) on Thursday released six final accident reports involving the crash that involved late Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai; who the bureau said was not competent to fly the ill- fated Cessna 208B that crashed on October 25, 2012.
The other final reports involved Delta Airlines Airbus A330- 223 on February 13, 2018 and Bristow Helicopters Sirkorsky S76C6 +, which crashed on February 3, 2016.

The crash site, close to Yola Airport. Inset is
Danbaba, pilot of the ill fated plane

Others involved a Diamond DA40D aircraft operated by International Aviation College in Ilorin and a GulfStream G200 aircraft operated by Nestoil Plc.
Speaking at a briefing at its headquarters in Lagos, AIB Chief Executive Officer, Akin Olateru said accident reports are not meant to be punitive.
He said though the bureau could not conclusively determine the cause of the crash involving the late Taraba governor, but hinted that Suntai as pilot of the ill-fated airplane was not certified, qualified and competent to fly the aircraft.

Danbaba's look, after the tide turned

Olateru said the decision of Suntai to operate a Visual Flight a Rules (VFR) flight after sunset was inconsistent with aviation regulations.
The AIB boss fingered the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for its inadequate oversight duties as a regulator, because the ill- fated Cessna aircraft was not in NCAA registry.

Danbaba casting his vote in an election despite
his convalescent state

Olateru said the ill- fated aircraft does not have any maintenance record in any Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO).
The report made two safety recommendations urging Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to take appropriate action to relocate the existing control tower at Yola Airport in order to enhance the aerial view of the approach path runway 35 from the tower.

Recuperating Danbaba, cutting his
birthday cake in a US hospital

The AIB said its findings concerning Suntai’s crash revealed that: “The pilot was not qualified to fly Cessna 172 and had total logged flying hours of fifty eight hours forty minutes.
The pilot had no relevant endorsement to fit Cessna Caravan 208B. The pilot does not have instrument ratings and night flight privileges.

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The pilot reported an incorrect estimated time of arrival at Yola Airport. The pilot reported the number of persons on board as six to the control tower as against four actual persons found after the accident.