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…Condemns crew substance use
By Chinelo Obogo
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has condemned the practice of overwriting flight data recorders following aircraft incidents, warning that such conduct obstructs accident investigations and poses a serious threat to aviation safety.
Speaking at an Aviation Stakeholder Engagement Workshop in Lagos, NSIB Director General, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr. stressed the critical importance of preserving Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVRs) and Flight Data Recorders (FDRs) also known as black boxe, in determining the root causes of air accidents. The workshop was themed: Preservation of Accident Investigation Evidence & Substance Use Among Aviation Personnel.
Badeh expressed concern that some airline operators and pilots had been overwriting these devices after incidents; a practice he said had repeatedly hampered investigators’ ability to gather crucial evidence and prevent future mishaps. He cited the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig-CARs) 2022, which mandate the immediate deactivation of flight recorders following any accident or serious incident.
“These devices are the objective record of events in flight. The untimely overwriting of these invaluable black boxes limits our ability to uncover root causes, learn the right lessons, and prevent recurrence,” he said.
On the issue of substance use, Badeh reminded aviation personnel that Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regulations strictly prohibit crew members from operating aircraft under the influence of alcohol or psychoactive substances. He highlighted the “bottle-to-throttle” rule, which bans pilots and crew from consuming alcohol within eight hours of a flight, noting that any form of impairment directly compromises judgment, reaction time, and overall performance. He added that the pilot-in-command is ultimately responsible for confirming that all crew members are fit for duty before departure.
Badeh expressed hope that the workshop would strengthen collaboration among industry stakeholders and help address growing safety concerns around evidence preservation and substance abuse.
The Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo who was represented by NCAA’s General Manager for Air Operator Certification and Surveillance, Ifeanyi Iteke, echoed these concerns, describing the overwriting of recorder data as unprofessional conduct. He cautioned that any operator or individual found in violation would face severe sanctions under industry regulations.
Former Managing Director of the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Dennis Jones, also weighed in, emphasizing that preserving accident scenes is essential to preventing future incidents.
