PILOTS WERE ARGUING BEFORE AGAGU'S PLANECRASHED - BLACKBOX

There appeared to be an argument between the
Captain and the First Officer of the Associated
Airline aircraft which crashed on 3 October in Lagos
Nigeria and killed 15 people, the aircraft’s black box
has revealed.
The readout of the black box ,also known as Cockpit
Voice Recorder, CVR, conducted by Nigeria’s
Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, in its Abuja’s
laboratory revealed that the computer onboard the
plane sent a warning message to the Captain,
Yakubu Abdulrahman, shortly before take-off but he
ignored it.
The First Officer then suggested to the pilot to abort
take-off but Yakubu Abdulrahman proceeded and
took off.
“The First Officer asked if the take-off should be
aborted approximately 12 seconds after the ‘eight
knots’ callout,” said Captain Mukhtar Usman,
Commissioner Accident Investigation Bureau,AIB.
AIB said the pilot and the co-pilot discussed some
concerns about the aircraft prior to departure.
“The crew discussed some concerns about the
aircraft prior to departure but at this time we are not
prepared to elaborate on those concerns as there
remains a lot of work to do to complete on the CVR
analysis in order to determine the specific nature of
the crew’s concerns,” said AIB Commissioner,
Muktar Usman.
Usman said approximately four seconds after engine
power was advanced to commence the take-off roll,
the crew received an automated warning from the
onboard computer voice which consisted of three
chimes followed by “take-off flaps…take-off flaps.
“This is a configuration warning that suggests that
the flaps were not in correct position for take-off.
And there is some evidence that the crew may have
chosen not to use the flap for take-off,” Usman said.
“This warning continued throughout the take-off
roll,” Usman added.
“Approximately three seconds after ‘power is set’
call, the First Officer noted that the aircraft was
moving slowly.
“At this time we can state that the Right engine
appeared to be producing considerably less thrust
than the left engine. The left engine appeared to be
working normally,” Usman said.
—Simon Ateba/Abuja