The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has condemned the alteration and overwriting of critical aircraft data recorders by some airlines and pilots, warning that such actions undermine accident investigations and threaten aviation safety.
Director-General of the NSIB, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr., made this known in Lagos during an Aviation Stakeholder Engagement Workshop themed “Preservation of Accident Investigation Evidence & Substance Use Among Aviation Personnel.”
He stressed that Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVRs) and Flight Data Recorders (FDRs), commonly known as black boxes, are crucial for determining the causes of aviation accidents and incidents.
Badeh expressed concern that in some past cases, operators and pilots overwrote the devices before investigators could retrieve vital information, thereby limiting efforts to uncover the root causes of incidents and prevent future mishaps.
He noted that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig-CARs) 2022 require that flight recorders be deactivated immediately after any accident or serious incident to preserve essential data.
He also reminded aviation personnel that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) prohibits crew members from operating aircraft under the influence of alcohol or psychoactive substances.
Badeh highlighted the industry’s “bottle-to-throttle” rule, which bars pilots and crew from consuming alcohol within eight hours before a flight, stressing that impairment can affect judgment, reaction time and overall performance.
Similarly, the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, represented by NCAA General Manager for Air Operator Certification and Surveillance, Ifeanyi Iteke, described the overwriting of flight recorders as unprofessional conduct and warned that offenders would face strict sanctions.
Former Managing Director of the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board, Dennis Jones, also emphasised the importance of preserving accident evidence to help prevent future aviation disasters.