AIB Says Pathologists Responsible For Delay In Releasing Crash Report,

                    The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said the inability of pathologists and coroners to submit their final reports on the Associated Airline crash was the reason for  not making its final report on the accident public.
The Commissioner of AIB, Dr Felix Abali, made this known to aviation correspondents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Monday.


It could be recalled that an aircraft belonging to the Associated Airline crashed immediately after takeoff at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, (MMA) Lagos on October 4, 2013.

The ill-fated aircraft, which was transporting the remains of a former governor of Ondo State, Mr Olusegun Agagu for burial, claimed no fewer than 16 persons out of the 20 people on board.

Abali said that the Commission would have long ago released its final reports if the challenges associated with pathologists and coroners handling the plane crash had been resolved.

He said that it would be unprofessional for the commission to release the final report without looking critically at the inputs of pathologists and coroners.

He, however, assured that such challenges would be resolved very soon.

“That takes us back to the problems we are having with coroners and pathologists. We are actually still waiting for their reports. Accident as you know could be caused by a lot of factors.

“Assuming that one of the crewmembers was drunk, how do you determine this? It is through pathological reports that you can know the true state of health of such crewmember.

“If we do not have such information then, the report is incomplete. We cannot go and publish something and leave out some aspects.

“What we have been doing is that we try to come to an understanding with them. We have been trying to write a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with them,” he said.

According to him, the Commission is currently working with a major pathologist in Nigeria who had connections with some hospitals across the nation.

The AIB helmsman assured that the sector was safe for flying despite some accidents in recent time, adding that accidents could not be eradicated in the industry but can be reduced to the barest minimum, with more precaution.