Antelope incident at Asaba Airport did not damage Air Peace Aircraft — NSIB
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has clarified that the Air Peace aircraft involved in the recent antelope incident at Asaba Airport sustained no damage and continued its flight to Abuja as scheduled.
On Saturday, an Air Peace operation was momentarily disrupted after the aircraft collided with an antelope while taxiing at Asaba Airport.
The incident drew public attention following an announcement on X (formerly Twitter) by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu.
“Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft AOG [aircraft on ground],” Achimugu posted.
“As a result, flights meant to be operated by this aircraft would naturally be disrupted, even though engineers are on the ground to assess and fix the plane. Passengers waiting would naturally be infuriated.”
However, NSIB Director General Alex Bade, speaking during an interview on Arise TV, offered a contrasting account.
“The aircraft was fine and continued its journey to Abuja without any damage,” he said.
“The incident was reported to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Since there was no significant issue, it was not reported to the NSIB.”
Bade added that the bureau still intends to engage the private company managing the airport to explore improved wildlife management practices. He noted that while such incidents involving animals on runways are uncommon in Nigeria, they are not unheard of globally.
“We do have challenges with perimeter fencing and occasional wildlife intrusion at some airports,” he said.
“But this is not peculiar to Nigeria. Airports in countries like the United States also deal with such situations.”
He cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions about airport safety in the country, urging a more balanced perspective.
“It’s unfair to generalise that our airports are totally unsafe. We acknowledge the need for continuous improvement and appreciate the upgrades being carried out by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),” Bade stated.
In a separate development, Bade addressed public misconceptions regarding the NSIB’s role in the investigation into the helicopter crash that claimed the life of Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe.
He clarified that the bureau was not involved in a joint investigation with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as had been previously reported.
“We were an interested party and were kept informed of the process by the NTSB, who led the investigation in the U.S.,” he explained.
According to Bade, the NTSB’s final report identified spatial disorientation as the primary cause of the crash. It also drew attention to lapses in the operator’s safety oversight and management procedures.
“There appear to have been systemic shortcomings. The flight risk assessment should have flagged the journey as high-risk. While it’s easy to attribute blame solely to the pilot, a robust support system should have been in place to prevent such a scenario,” he said.
Bade also discussed the NSIB’s expanded responsibilities under its Establishment Act of 2022, which designates the bureau as the sole agency responsible for investigating transport-related accidents across all modes of transportation—air, rail, road, and maritime.
“We are currently building the frameworks required to support this mandate. That includes maritime investigation regulations, training manuals, investigation policies, and procedures. The frameworks for maritime and rail are already complete, and we’re now engaging stakeholders to ensure alignment and support,” he said.
He reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to enhancing safety across Nigeria’s transport sectors through independent and detailed investigations aimed at preventing future occurrences.
