AAIPB to investigate bird strike on KLM flight at KIA

The Aircraft Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AAIPB) is constituting an investigation team to look into an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight incident that resulted in an aborted take-off at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra Friday.

A statement issued by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said the incident involved a bird strike close to the windshield of the aircraft, compelling the flight captain to apply emergency brakes.

In the process, two tyres deflated while two others got worn out.

All passengers on board the flight disembarked with no casualties.

In a memo sighted by the Ghanaian Times, the Bureau said the final report of the incident, expected within two months, would analyze trends of bird strike incidents and provide safety recommendations to forestall future occurrence.

It said the report would have inputs from the captain and engineers as well as the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) and Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Additionally, the Bureau noted that it would meet with the Safety and Environment Department of the GACL.

The GCAA, also in a statement, confirmed the incident and noted that under the surveillance of its Aviation Safety Inspectors, the affected tyres were replaced, with all systems of the aircraft checked, before it departed Accra for Amsterdam at 1:00 p.m. yesterday.

A joint investigation into the incident, consistent with Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, is being carried out, it said.

As the regulator of air transport in Ghana, the statement noted that the GCAA remained fully committed to enforcing compliance with its Aerodrome Safety and Standards (ASAS) as well as the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) pertaining to wildlife management.