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This article was written on August 20, 2005 and modified on August 30, 2005. It is written to inform the general public about how aircraft accidents are handled.
Pilot Error/Undetermined/Weather:
Aircraft accidents have been as old as the invention itself. In fact most attempts at flight ended in disaster when the machines failed after being launched from some heights. Many improvements have been made but accidents still occur frequently with disastrous consequences. Aviation authorities have been set up in different countries to oversee the industry. They deal with licensing of aircrafts, aerodromes, pilots and mechanics. This body is also responsible for accident investigations. Of the accidents that have been investigated, findings of the probable cause are appended at the end of the reports. Statistically, probable cause have been categorized as:
- 37%: Pilot error
- 33%: Undetermined or missing in the record
- 13%: Mechanical failure
- 7%: Weather
- 5%: Sabotage (bombs, hijackings, shoot-downs)
- 4%: Other human error (air traffic controller error, improper loading of aircraft, improper maintenance, fuel contamination, language miscommunication etc.)
- 1%: Other cause
The survey excluded military, private and charter flights.
Pilot Error: This means the pilot did or did not do something and that action or inaction lead to the accident. Normally, the pilot is the final authority to take an airplane into the air after performing several checks to make sure everything is safe to fly as intended. So, no one can really force a pilot to fly a plane if his check before flying indicates that something is not right with the intended flight.
In the case of Garangs flight, many things seemed to have gone wrong or overlooked before the flight. It is not clear whether the pilot had a weather briefing. If he did get a weather report at the destination, in this case New Site, then he must have believed that the successful outcome of the flight was not in doubt. However, it has been reported that helicopter flight was not permitted at night and the time the group took of from Entebbe was very late as to render the flight a night flight. Recall that flight in which the late Chief of Staff David Oyite-Ojok lost his life was also at night being piloted by the Air force Commander Colonel Alfred Otto. Colonel Peter Nyakairu was to have been the pilot of that flight but he was away in Fort Portal. Isnt that ironical?
The next thing to consider is whether there is a published instrument procedure at New Site or nearby airport which the pilot could use if the weather was very bad and could not see airport clearly. Then next is consideration of fuel in the helicopter tank. How long could it fly on the available fuel? The pilot should have enough fuel to take him to New Site, try a landing and on failing, be able to go to another airport where weather is better.
The investigating body will make its conclusion which comes in the name of probable cause of the crash, and they could say pilot failure to maintain control of the helicopter due to lack of fuel which resulted into engine stoppage. Or failure to maintain control of the helicopter due to spatial disorientation.
There will be no mention of Uganda government or Museveni or any mechanic whatsoever.
What to expect in the investigation of the crash of the helicopter carrying Dr. John Garang:
- There will be a narrative of the flight or history of the flight.
- Maintenance history of the chopper.
- Qualification of the pilot and their currency in flight.
- Health history of the pilots.
- The weather on that fateful day.
- The eyewitnesses report as to who heard or saw the helicopter approach and return towards Uganda.
- The communication between the pilot and the air traffic controllers.
- Cockpit voice recorder transcript.
- Flight data recorder transcript.
With this information the team will try to piece together why the helicopter crashed.
The black box and cockpit voice recorder will give valuable information in the last few seconds of the flight before the crash.
Which direction was the chopper flying, how fast was it flying, where was the power setting what did the pilots say to each other. At the point of impact the flight will be frozen in time. All the things we mentioned will have only one final reading at the point of impact. For example Altitude 4000 ft descending, airspeed 150 kts increasing, power indication 0 torque, fuel 0 gall, This would suggest that at that time there was no fuel and the engines were developing no power and the aircraft was falling down. There was no choice but to crash land. They would then conclude that the probable cause of the accident was pilot error and running out of fuel was secondary contributing factor. Or, that failure to know where they were can also be mentioned as contributing factor.
Menya Kilat
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