Max Air incident not caused by landing system – NAMA

Chinelo Obogo

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has debunked statements attributed to Max Air that the incident at the Minna Airport was, as a result, an epileptic Instrument Landing System (ILS), insisting that ILS is working optimally.

The General Manager, Public Affairs of NAMA, Khalid Emele, said the ILS was successfully calibrated early this year (2019) and there had been no report of non-alignment by the equipment from pilots since then.

The airspace managers also stated that other operators that had used the facility after the incident yesterday had not complained about the ILS malfunctioning.

“In a press release issued by Max Air Ltd on the incident involving its aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 with registration No. 5N-DBK at Minna airport on Saturday, the 7th of September, 2019, the airline’s Director of Operations, Capt. Ibrahim Dilli, attributed the unfortunate incident among other things, to the Instrument Landing System at the airport which he said was “epileptic with unreliable signals.”

“While we acknowledge that we have absolute confidence in the ability of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) to conduct a thorough investigation (which is ongoing), we are constrained to however put things in proper perspective for the benefit our airspace users and the flying public.

“The reported weather on the day in question was 10km visibility in nil weather.

“Second, the said Instrument Landing System was successfully calibrated early this year (2019) and there has been no report of non-alignment by the equipment from pilots since then. Other operators that have used the facility after the incident have not complained about the ILS malfunctioning.

“Third, NAMA has made available other alternative approaches like the Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) approach procedures and Very High Omni-directional Radio Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) approach procedures which are alternatives to the ILS.

“The agency, therefore, wishes to reassure airspace users and the public that the Nigerian airspace remains safe for air travel,” Emele said.