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The Republic of Cameroon during the week in Abuja sought for support of Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N) on investigation of an air crash that occurred in the sister African country.
The accident, involving a Havilland DHC 400 Twin Otter aircraft, occurred on May 11, in Cameroon.
Mrs Essimi Dine, the Director of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation, Cameroon, led a team from Cameroon to AIB-N headquarters on the matter.
She said the support of AIB was necessary due to its advanced infrastructure for accident investigation.
Dine said the AIB-N would help the Cameroon authorities to download and analyse information from the recorder of the aircraft on the accident that occurred in Cameroon.
According to her, the Republic of Cameroon will further collaborate with AIB-N on capacity building in accident investigation.
“We have come to see how AIB is doing things. What they can do in terms of equipment and infrastructure they have.
“Thank you for your warm welcome here in Nigeria. We appreciate the support of the AIB. We are sure that the cause of the accident will be resolved after our work here.
“We will further request for other areas of collaboration. We really appreciate the support of AIB, “ she said.
Earlier, Mr Akin Olateru, the Commissioner of AIB-N, said the bureau would be part of the accident investigation being carried out by Cameroon, noting that Nigerians were on board.
According to him, two Nigerian pilots and a Cameroonian operator were involved in the accident.
“Cameroon has decided to seek assistance of AIB-N in terms of the investigation to help with the download of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), analysis of information and animation of how it happened.
“As you are aware, we have one of the best accident investigation laboratories in the world. We have capability of getting information from the damaged recorder which the aircraft came with.
“The aircraft came with a highly burned recorder. We will be able to retrieve information from it,” he said.
Olateru said the AIB-N had previously helped some African countries including Niger Republic, Gambia and Sierra Leone in a related development.
He said that AIB-N had just received approval from the Ministry of Justice to sign an MOU with Sierra Leone to help the country to set up an Independent Accident Investigation Centre.
