Chinedu Eze
Incidents of bird strike have become a source of concern to airline operators who fear that if not checked it may result to a major accident.
To this end, the airlines have called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to urgently curtail the movement of birds around the airports and flight paths on takeoff.
A bird strike is a collision between an airborne animal (usually birds or bats) and an aircraft.
While airstrikes are categorised as natural phenomenon that could be controlled using environmental techniques, it however becomes worrisome when bird strike occurs frequently, thereby distorting flight schedules and threatening air safety.
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Published 20 May 2021
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate recent incidents in the aviation sector, in which aircraft lost their engines due to bird strike during local flights.
The House particularly mandated its Committee on Aviation to ‘investigate claims of engine failure and/or bird strikes by the two flights – Max Air and Aero Contractors – that sought to depart Kano and Port Harcourt airports to Abuja which nearly caused air accidents, viz-a-viz safety precautionary measures towards avoiding further loss of lives and destruction of properties attendant therein.”
This resolution followed the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by a member from Kano State, Sani Bala, titled ‘Urgent Need to Investigate Claims of Engine Failure and/or Bird Strikes That Almost Caused the Fatal Crash of Aircraft Departing Kano and Port Harcourt Airports to Abuja, Respectively, Towards Safeguarding the Lives and Properties of Nigerians.
Reps probe Max air, Aero Contractors airlines over aircraft engine failures
On
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
House of Representatives Wednesday mandated its Committee on Aviation to investigate claims of engine failure and or bird strikes by Max Air and Aero Contractors respectively.
It will be recalled that the two flights which had departed Kano and Port Harcourt Airports to Abuja on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 had near air mishaps.
Reports say 140 air passengers including the Emir of Kano and 90 others flying with both Max Air and Aero Contractors aircrafts respectively.
The Max Air plane with registration number VM1645 which was scheduled for takeoff by 1.30pm had delayed for about 30 minutes before departing only to escape air crash, just as Aero Contractors’ Boeing 737-500 with the registration number 5N-BKR encountered bird strike 10 minutes upon take-off and eventual|y returned back to base.
On Monday, an Aero Contractor Flight NIG382 heading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport encountered a bird strike on take-off at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Rivers State.
Also on Tuesday, another aircraft conveying the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and other passengers similarly encountered the same incident on take-off forcing the pilot to make an air return. Also on March 21, 2021, a Kano- Lagos Aero Contractors flight also returned to Kano after one of the engines suffered a bird strike during take-off with many passengers stranded at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) in 2020 disclosed that Nigerian airlines lost about N6 billion to bird strike menace annually. Arik Air alone said it lost about $3.6 million to bird strikes between 2013 and 2019.