Omaghomi says the Dana pilot logged more flight hours than pilots legally ought to
The coroner’s inquest into the cause of the June 3, 2012 Dana Air plane crash continued on Thursday, with a former pilot casting doubt on the competence of the plane crew.
While testifying as a witness for parties interested, a former pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, Tito Omaghomi, told the court that it was wrong for the plane’s pilot, Captain Watson, to have flown “120 hours for the airline in 13 days”.
He said that pilots are not supposed to fly for more than 100 hours in a month.
“According to the standard law, pilots are not required to fly for more than 100 hours in a month; but the pilot had flown 120 hours for 13 days, which is not in line with the law,” he said.
A preliminary report earlier released by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) had stated that the crashed plane’s deceased pilot “began flying line operations for the company in late May 2012 and had since accrued 120 hours of flight time”.
Omaghomi, who is also the National President of Concerned Aviation Professionals (CAP), said that he deduced from the AIB’s report that the plane’s “crew did not make use of the check list”.
The former pilot’s recent comments have been a subject of controversy, particularly following an interview during which he referred to the flight crew as “unprofessional”.
Omaghomi lost two of his relations in the crash that killed all 153 passengers aboard and another ten aground, in a crowded Lagos neighbourhood.
The coroner, Alexander Komolafe, had ordered a newspaper, Nigerian Tribune, to retract Omaghomi’s comments and urged him to shun sentiments and await the report of the ongoing investigations into the crash.
The court also heard the testimony of Daniel Ajokoji, a staff of Total Nigeria Plc., who said that the last time the company supplied fuel to Dana Air was in November 2011.
Ajokoji added that the company always had quality control officers properly check the fuel being supplied to aircraft.
Further hearing on the case was adjourned to Tuesday, June 14, 2012, to honour the dead, as the bodies of crash victims being released to family members is expected to end by next Monday.
