Weather and Safety Issues in Aviation: The Need for Action in Nigeria

Abstract

Adverse weather is responsible for significant proportion of air crashes worldwide. In Nigeria, various air accidents have also been attributed to adverse weather condition. This chapter examined the relationship between weather and the safety of air travel with particular reference to the Nigerian environment. Using examples from various parts of the world, the chapter explored the roles of icing, heavy rainfall, windshear, thunderstorms with associated lightning and reduced visibility due to fog and haze in aviation accidents. While evidences from Nigeria show that most of the air crashes are not weather related, some are directly attributable to weather while in some others weather has been reported to be contributory factor. Problems of poor facility, inadequate monitoring of airlines and problem of manpower were identified as major problems in the Nigerian aviation industry. It was recommended that modern equipment should be installed to improve quality of weather information. In addition, all Nigerian aviation regulatory agencies must ensure that all airlines operate within acceptable airspace standards in country.