WINDHOEK– The Director of Aircraft Accident Investigations in the Ministry of Works and Transport Ericksson Nengola says the wreckage of flight TM 470 that crashed in Namibia en route to Angola last November remains state property.
The aircraft with 33 people on board, which crashed in the Bwabwata National Park remains state property until recovery planning and surveying is complete. Nengola was responding to some media reports last week that the wreckage now belongs to the insurance company. “It is still the property of the state of occurrence until it is officially handed over to the insurance company through LAM,” stressed Nengola. Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, Nengola said the wreckage will only be released to the owner after recovery planning and surveying of the site is complete. The process started last week already. “Our team has travelled to the site to supervise the final search and [to plan] the recovery of the wreckage, “he said, adding the removal of the wreckage is a complex task which requires careful planning and execution. “The recovery will commence on the 4th of March 2014 and is expected to be completed towards the end of April 2014, only then will the wreckage be released to the aircraft insurers,” he emphasised.
He further said the Namibian delegation that is currently in Mozambique is carrying out the investigation in line with ICAO Annex 13 protocols. “Both Mozambique and Namibia are signatory to the 27th December 1944 Chicago Convention, therefore, the Namibian delegation expects every person who needs to be interviewed by that delegation to give necessary cooperation in the process of giving information,” he told the media. “The aim of this investigation is to draw lines whether Namibia must at the final stage follow annex 13 chapter 5 paragraph 11. However, before that, sufficient and accurate information needs to be obtained from the state of registry which is also the state of operator, in order for Namibia to decide whether the accident will be investigated purely as an aircraft accident or not,” he explained. He further warned all parties to refrain from making public statements on any evidence, including the preliminary and any other interim reports and final report, until after the investigating authority has published it.
By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa