Precision Air crash serves as lesson – ATCA
AIR Traffic Controllers Association (ATCA) has said that the Precision Air plane crash in Lake Victoria that killed 19 people serves as a lesson to Tanzania, East African Community (EAC) and the global aviation stakeholders to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
Precision Air’s 48-seater 5H-PWF, ATR42-500 – carrying 39 passengers (38 adults and one infant) and four crew members – crash- landed on Lake Victoria as it was attempting to land at Bukoba airport.
It was flying from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba. A total of 19 people died in the accident, while 24 survived.
Acting ATCA President, Mr Limis Makolowela said that the final investigation report will establish the cause of the accident and recommend ways on how such incidents can be avoided in future.
Mr Makolowela was speaking during ATCA Annual General Meeting held on Friday in Dar es Salaam.
“This meeting and others to come will take the causes of Bukoba crash as lesson on what should be done to avoid such fatal incidents,” he said.
Officiating at the opening of the meeting, Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority(TCAA) Acting Director General, Mr Daniel Malanga, said that his authority is responsible for overseeing air control activities in the country to ensure safety.
Mr Malanga said that TCAA will intensify its supervisory role, to ensure that Tanzania has qualified and competent air traffic controllers to assure safety of passengers and their properties.
“TCAA will strengthen the commitment to see Tanzania is having as seamless air space and qualified air traffic controllers to man the airports by guiding pilots for safer landing, taking off or using the international air space safely without causing accidents,” he insisted.
He reminded air traffic controllers in the country to adhere to professionalism and ensure that Tanzania’s air space is safe.
The DG further said that the government through TCAA will do everything possible, including conducting regular training, to ensure that air traffic controllers in the country are acquainted with new emerging technologies to be up to date.
“I want to remind you to work professionally with the job you are entrusted with and ensure that safety of Tanzania’s airspace is not compromised in any way for safer air transport which is important to the nation’s economy,”
The ATCA annual general meeting was also attended by representatives from Kenya, Uganda and Zambia who came to learn and share experience on what is being done to assure safety.
