NSIB, NCAA warn crew against overwriting flight data recorders

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have issued a joint warning to flight crew and airline operators against overwriting critical flight recorder data, saying the practice could compromise accident investigations and hurt aviation safety.

The warning came on Wednesday at an aviation stakeholder workshop in Lagos. The event, themed “Preservation of Accident Investigation Evidence and Substance Use Among Aviation Personnel,” brought together regulators, operators, and safety experts.

Speaking at the gathering, NSIB Director General Capt. Alex Badeh (Jr) said cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) and flight data recorders (FDRs) are essential for uncovering what goes wrong in air incidents.

“These devices are the objective record of events in flight,” he said. “Any loss of this data due to overwriting limits our ability to determine what went wrong, learn from it, and prevent a recurrence.”

Badeh pointed to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig-CARs), specifically Part 7.8.1.3(b), which requires that flight recorders be deactivated immediately after an accident or incident to preserve the evidence. He said failure to follow the rule weakens investigations and puts lives at risk.

He also reminded stakeholders of the “bottle-to-throttle” rule under Nig-CARs Part 8.5.1.5, which bars flight crew from consuming alcohol within eight hours of duty or using psychoactive substances that could impair performance. “The Pilot-in-Command bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that no crew member is incapacitated before a flight,” Badeh said.

NCAA Director General Capt. Chris Najomo, represented by Engr. Ifeanyi Iteke, said accident and serious incident investigations are evidence‑based and depend on accurate, complete data.

Najomo noted that the NCAA has gone beyond regulatory requirements by issuing All Operators’ Letters (AOLs) to guide airlines on handling flight recorders, particularly to prevent CVR data from being overwritten. He added that the Authority is currently carrying out an enforcement investigation into a recent case of CVR overwriting.

“This enforcement action, if culpability is established, will serve as a deterrent not only to those involved but to the entire industry,” he said.

Najomo also stressed that no crew member should operate an aircraft if aware of any condition that could compromise safety, describing such operations as potentially catastrophic. He called for strict adherence to medical certification rules, duty-time limits, and random checks.

Both agencies underscored the need for stronger collaboration among regulators, airlines, and other stakeholders to improve compliance and build a proactive safety culture.

The workshop had participants from airlines, aviation agencies, the military, law enforcement, pilot unions, and international partners.