The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has cautioned indigenous airline operators over overwriting the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) after serious incidents and accidents with a view to circumventing investigation, describing the unwholesome antic as a negation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs).
The aviation industry regulator gave the airlines 30 days ultimatum to adhere to the new amendments of the regulations or face sanctions for non-compliance.
It its All Operators Letter (AOL) with Ref. No. NCAA/DGCA/AOL/11/16/365, dated July 24, 2023 and signed by the Director-General/CEO of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu, addressed to Accountable Executive, Directors of Operations, Chief Pilots and Safety Managers, the NCAA noted that some of the airlines had consistently indulged in CVR overwriting which has grave implications for air travels safety in the country.
Specifically, the Authority pointed that the sharp practice usually made it impossible for the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to retrieve actual data to aid in its investigation as required by Paragraphs 25 and 26 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2019.
Citing its previous warnings to the airlines on the matter to buttress its position, the industry regulator clarified that NCARs Part 7.8.1.3 (b), which is derived from the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 6, Section 11.6, provided that in order to preserve flight recorder records, it should be deactivated upon completion of flight time following an accident or incident.
The Director-General clarified in the letter that the Annex stated that flight recorder should not be reactivated before their disposition as determined in accordance with the accident/incident regulations of Nigeria and charged the airline operators to conduct in-house awareness training for their flight crews on the requirements of the Nigeria CARs Parts 7.8.1.3 (b), 8.14.10.3 (a) and 8.5.1.24 (b) and (c) and incorporate same in their operations’ manuals.
The NCAA insisted that the amendments must be submitted to it for review, acceptance and approval within 30 days from the date of issuance of the AOL, which is on or before August 23, 2023.
