Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau-Ghana (AIB) has launched its maiden edition of the Aviation Safety Investigation Day on Monday with a symposium in Accra.
The Commissioner AIB-Ghana, Mr Akwasi Prempeh, said the symposium has special value because it’s the first time that speakers have been invited from European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organization (BAGASOO), the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA), Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, Delta Airlines and local stakeholders from Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as well as the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).
He said these experts would be sharing their thoughts, opinions and knowledge on the field of investigation.
The Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Mr Charles Kraikue, stated that a win for accident investigation and prevention with the attending lessons learnt was a big win for global aviation safety.
He said the Aviation sector need not overlook the calculated risk and confidence that the travelling public accepts and puts in them every time they choose to travel in the skies and the sector’s responsibility to ensure their safety.
Mr Kraikue noted that, Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigations was not about apportioning blame but about analyzing accidents, incidents and uncovering the truth behind them as well as implementing measures to prevent future recurrence.
“These investigations aim to identify systemic issues, procedural weaknesses and human factors that may contribute to Accident or Incident,” he added.
He said GCAA looks forward to working together and strengthening its collaboration with the AIB in areas such as the establishment of Accident and Incident Data Reporting compatible systems for recording of occurrences because the more data collected and analyzed, the better chances for a future of data driven decision-making.
The Commissioner of Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA), Mr Charles Irikefe Erhueh, said funding has been a major challenge for the regional Accident Investigation Organization because it was very hard to get subscriptions from members even when they have been assured.
He said BAGAIA has helped Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone establish independent accident investigation agencies and even beyond the region their brotherhood has attracted other countries to their ideals.
The symposium which was on the theme: “Working Together for an innovative and sustainable Global Aviation,” addressed topics such as; experience and best practices, communication of safety information and related protocols on aircraft accidents as well as current and future activities in accident investigation and prevention.
Dzifa Hukporti & Edem Agblevor, ISD
