Serious incident: Medview did not follow regulations in reporting Incidents-AIB

The Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB has released the preliminary report into the serious Incident involving Medview Airline at the Abuja airport on 23rd of July, 2019.

The AIB in its preliminary report released to the media today, says the Bureau became aware of the occurrence from news media and the incident was not reported to them as required by regulation of the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Regulations in 2019.

In the AIB’s report, the initial findings also indicated that the crew experienced a loss of pressurization on descent and requested priority landing without initially disclosing the nature of the emergency and the Cockpit Voice Recorder CVR recordings of the occurrence was overwritten.

The aircraft heading to Lagos from Abuja had 28 passengers on board and 6 crew. There was no fatalities or injuries to those onboard the aircraft.

“From the post occurrence interview records available to the Bureau, the Captain stated as follows: That while briefing the passengers through the Public Address (PA) System, “I heard the cabin altitude warning horn, I immediately stopped the briefing, donned my oxygen mask and asked the Co-pilot to set pressurization mode selector to ‘MAN’ and close the valve; I immediately initiated an emergency descent. As I checked the cabin altitude indicator, I noticed that the cabin altitude was still climbing and then called for Emergency Descent Checklist. While in the descent (the checklist items were being executed), the Passenger Oxygen masks deployed automatically before the switch was activated by the F/O as instructed in the Emergency Descent checklist”. At 14:45:27 h, the aircraft had contact with the Lagos Approach Radar (APP).

On contact, the aircraft was instructed to turn right on a radar heading (HDG) for delay sequencing with a descent to FL080 initially. The crew acknowledged that instruction but reported that they were not able to comply due weather.

“As the cabin altitude was controlled to 8000ft, the captain confirmed the situation of the cabin from the flight purser who affirmed the situation of the cabin became normal”.

“At 14:53:31 h, the crew requested priority landing from Air Traffic Control (ATC). Approval was granted and the aircraft was again vectored to an HDG of 2400and re-cleared to 3500 ft on QNH 1013. ATC then requested for the nature of the emergency which the crew relayed as EMERGENCY DESCENT”.

“Thereafter, the aircraft was further cleared to 2200ft on QNH1013for ILS approach runway 18L. At 14:55:12 h, the aircraft received radar heading2200to intercept Localizer (LOC) 18L. At 14:55:22 h, the aircraft was further cleared to 2200ft and cleared for ILS Approach 18L.At 15:00:43 h, the aircraft was transferred to Control Tower (CT) for landing clearance. At 15:02:52, the aircraft contacted the CT and CT acknowledged. At 15:05:50 h, the aircraft was cleared to land Runway 18L. At about 15:07 h, the aircraft landed. After parking, all passengers and crew disembarked from the aircraft without injury. The incident occurred in daylight”.