Stake Holders Fight Off Blame For Kenya Airways Crash

By Joe Dinga Pefok

Authorities of Douala International Airport [Cameroon Civil Aviation], as well as those of the Kenya Airways and the Boeing company, have in different ways been engaging in a propaganda campaign ostensibly to exonerate their companies from any culpability.

They seem to fear that any if the blame for the crash of the Kenya Airways crash ever falls on them, it would certainly damage their various images and interests.

Certain experts and most of the Douala population have been attributing the cause of the crash to either poor weather, technical fault, human error, sabotage or the introduction of a foreign element into the engine of the plane during the stopover at the Douala International Airport.

In the US, the spokesman of the Boeing company, Jim Proulx, has been flooding the Internet with statements to the effect that the crash of the six-month-old Boeing 737-800, could not have been due to a technical fault. Observers say Proulx certainly knows the damages that will be caused to both the company's image and sales were it to be established that the plane crashed because of a technical fault traced back to the manufacturer.

As for the Kenya Airways authorities, all the press statements from their headquarters in Nairobi tend to insinuate that pilot error could not have been responsible for the crash.
Rather they insist on bad weather, insinuating negligence of the control tower at Douala Airport.

The Kenyans also talk of the possible introduction of a foreign element like a big bird into the engine while the plane was at the Douala Airport. As for the authorities of the Cameroon Civil Aviation, they are also fretting, knowing that the Douala International Airport would likely be considered as unsafe by the international community, if the cause of the accident is linked to negligent airport staff.

Pilot Warned Against Take-off

Though appalling weather seems to be the most speculated cause of the crash, the local French language daily newspaper, La Nouvelle Expression, (No. 1975 of May 8), quoted what it claimed were exclusive sources, having disclosed to the paper that some members of the ground technical team at the Douala Airport mounted the cockpit of the Kenya Airways aircraft that night, and advised the pilot against taking off at that time.

According to the paper, the technicians had warned the pilot that the radar had indicated a very turbulent spot in the flight path not far away from the Airport.The captain allegedly insisted on leaving, by convincing the Cameroonian technicians that he would try to manoeuvre his way round the turbulent area, and so took off.

Nonetheless, experts have been insisting that it is only the information in the black box that will establish the exact cause or causes of the crash.Speaking at a press briefing in Douala on May 8, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Kenya Airways, Titus Nakuini, stressed that only the black box will be able to give a clear picture as to what caused the plane to crash.

The Black Box

The black box usually contains the recording of the last 30 minutes of discussions in the cockpit of a plane while it is on a flight and the last discussion between the cockpit and the control tower.It also contains the flight data of a plane, and so it will be possible to know at what altitude the Kenya Airways aircraft was, when it ran into trouble.

Meanwhile, the control tower is supposed to be in contact with a plane upon take-off for five minutes, before the control tower at the destination of the plane takes over. The Kenya Airways plane crashed less than five minutes upon take-off from the Douala International Airport, and so it was the tower at that airport that was still responsible for contacts.

Since the black box seems the most dependable source of credible information for any technical investigation into the crash of a plane, the insurance company too, awaits its verdict. Thus the CEO of Kenya Airways noted that though their plane was fully insured, there will be no talk about compensation to the families of victims of the crash for now, until the technical investigation into the cause of the crash is over. This news did not go down well with family members of the crash victims who were around.

Scuffle Over Black box

A disagreement between some members of the technical team of Kenya Airways and some senior Cameroonian gendarmerie officers on the procedure of handling and sealing the black box that was found on May 7 in the mangroves of Mbanga Pongo sparked off a scuffle.

A member of the technical team of Kenya Airways, Peter O. Marereh (Production Engineer, Avionics), discovered the black box at about 4.35 pm.The Post, which was one of the few press organs that was still at the crash site, rushed after Marereh and one of his colleagues on the 3-kilometre journey in the swamps to the camp which was set up at the entrance of the forest; the technical team of the Kenya Airways presented the black box to Littoral Governor, Gounokou Haounaye.

But no sooner had the Governor left, than a group of gendarmerie officers declared that the Cameroonian security was now in charge, and that they [Kenyan authorities] had better go their way.

A heated argument erupted over the control of the black box as members of the technical team of Kenya Airways insisted that the international regulation required that both parties jointly take control of the black box, until it is sealed.

But the gendarmerie officers who continuously spoke in French, forcing the Kenyans who were not understanding to depend on some rough translation by sympathisers, would not listen to the Kenyans whom they accused of insinuating that the Cameroonian security was not to be trusted.

Then the gendarmes ordered that the black box be put in one of their vehicles, which was rapidly done by some junior officers. But while some of the Kenyans were desperately trying to make phone calls, others hung onto the gendarmerie vehicle in which was the black box. One of then cried out to the gendarmes: "You are treating us so badly.

This is unfair!"
At this stage, the Littoral Provincial Chief of National Security, Joachim Mbida Nkili, and a senior officer of the Cameroon Air Force, Samuel Ngwesse, who had initially not wanted to get involved in the issue of the black box, finally intervened.

Mbida Nkili, who spoke to the Kenyans in English, and showed quite a lot of concern, calmed down the brawlers. As for Air Force officer, he explained to the gendarmes that the Kenyans were right. He stressed on the necessity to strictly follow the internationally prescribed procedure for joint control over the black box.

He further explained that for the final sealing of that black box, the representatives of the Boeing company and the Cameroon Civil Aviation would have to be present, and that documents would have to be signed.

A compromise was thus arrived at between the senior gendarmerie officers and members of the technical team of Kenya Airways. Not only was the black box temporally sealed on the spot, but it was also agreed that two members of the technical team of Kenya Airways, one of whom was Marereh, should also go along in the gendarmerie vehicle with the black box. And so ended the scuffle which lasted some 35 minutes.

Some of the gendarmes finally admitted that they knew nothing about the black box of a plane. Some two gendarmerie officers even recalled that when the Kenyans first appeared with the box they did not know it was the black box.

Meanwhile, The Post learned that the black box will either be sent to France or Canada for the contents to be retrieved as there is no country in Africa with equipment to analyse it.

Comments

[Ebonylad]

It is obvious to have conflict of intrerest defence in this situation.All parties can be right in their own way.
Our gendarme officers can always express forceful bufoonery in this kind of situation other than knowledge.
My question would be,where is the transport minister since the beginning of this incident?
We have been hearing of communications min and transport secretary of state.
Ebonylad

[Emah]

Bonjour,

A CHACUN D’APPRECIER …

Une réaction lue sur le net.

The control tower workers at the Douala airport in La Republique Francaise du Cameroun are a bunch of incompetent, corrupt and unaccountable clowns.

How can you lose contact with a plane after a distress call less than 2 minutes after take off and you do nothing to raise an alarm. You say nothing until more than 7 hours later when the Kenyan airways people from Nairobi call you to inform you that the plane is missing.

This a classic case of dereliction of duty. I guess they are simply imitating their lazy, corrupt, incompetent and unenterprising president Paul Biya.

This is the height of negligence, incompetence and irresponsibility. All of them ought to be fired and prosecuted for gross negligence and dereliction of duty.

But knowing the laxity, nonchalance and the laissez faire attitude that reigns and is endemic in La Republique Francaise du Cameroun, nobody will be held accountable. All the delinquents and culprits will go scot free.

To make things worse it takes the bumbling government about 72 hours to locate a plane that had crashed only 12 miles away from the airport.

How can a country with 2 international airports not have a Radio Detection And Ranging (RADAR) system. This is unconscionable. They cannot say their country is poor because some of their citizens embezzle billions of CFA francs in public funds every year.

This plane crash has really exposed La Republique Francaise du Cameroun for what she is, ..... a no man's land, unaccountable and inept.

Their president Paul Biya has not even extended a word of condolence to the bereaved, let alone visit the site of the catastrophe.

What a country of heartless laggards and good for nothing beer drinkers.

Yours truly.

Dr. Eric B. Mbok
Special Adviser to the P-DSRSG
United Nations Mission in DRC (MONUC)
Kinshasa - DRC
Tel: 1(212) 963 0103ext 6726/ + 243 (0) 081 890 7548
Emails: mbok@un.org / embok2003@yahoo.fr

Courtesy

[Ma Mary]

It is time for Southern Cameroonians to completely remove themselves from this stinker starting with a name change. Cameroon, Cameroun, Kamerun. That name stinks. Right now I call myself a Southern Cameroonian, but I want that to change. Ambazonians have clearly won that argument. Now it is about chosing the name. No, name choice is not at the end. It is at the beginning. This Republique Francais du Cameroun has taken that name and turned it into manure. Issh! Keep it away from me.

Riccardo help yourself to it.

[vito]

Descendants of Ossende Afanda or whatever!All these CPDM thugs trying to play over our collective consciousness.Hahaha!

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

The aim of their scuffle is not relevant to their purpose.They pompous attitudes of the Gendermerie and the Kenyan Airways officials, was really unjustified.They claim to know what is a black box,yet they never knew how to retrieve the information or to handle it.Their main aim was to aquire some financial gains.It is ridiculous that no African country is capable of retrieving information from the black box and they will only send it to France or Canada.

However the cause of the accident is not yet known.But majority of the people blame it on the nonchalent pilot who after being warned of the bad weather still took off.

Also those bereaved families should atleast be compesated for the great lost and pain incured in their respective families.I know this is where bribery and corruption will take its roots since relatives and families will need to give tips before they can be compensated irrespective of their plights and sorrows.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Tombele]

Can you believe that these idiots had to rely on electronically backward France for a distress signal to be received in Toulouse and say the wreckage was 154 kms away? Same thing happened in Ivory Coast. There are a lot of English speaking Cameroonians with a tremendous background in aviation, radar, networking , satellite tracking, air traffic control, we are not given a chance to help our country, instead we are helping others. My above comrades have discussed the bufonery. For all West Cameroonians, I suggest we use this as a wake call and investigate a plebiscite, check the pulse of our intelligent people and go our separate ways for GOOOD!!!!!

[mk the southerner]

Southern Cameroons where are you?

Oh what time has done to us.
Had this been in my country,the then well trained police force would have acted out of reason not on impulse.

Oh what time has done to us,had it been before 1961 when democracy was still democracy,police were still police and Southern Cameroons still Southern Cameroons,there will have been workers with some sense of responsibilities in the tower.

Time you destroyed the Tiko international air port, yes you destroyed every good thing we had, oh yes you destroyed the Southern Cameroons.

Time you make me ashamed when some body call me using the name of the country you placed me and all are good values in.I am also ashamed to call the name of the country myself. A country that is in pulsation of every thing but has nothing.

Oh time they say time never passes,yes could you bring back our passed glories? Can you bring back my country? Can you make me prude again?

But time i tell you it is never too
late!!!.

mkthesoutherner@yahoo.co.uk

[Che Sunday]

I have always maintained, and until proven wrong, that any African who uses French as a primary means of communication also loses a sizable portion of his/her intelligence. I can't think of any English speaking country so backwards and heartless than Cameroon. We lost the graetest number of passengers on in this disaster. I bet you, if the 35 dead Cameroonians were French nationals, Paul Biya would not only be sending condolences, but will be on his way to Paris.
The very uneducated gendarmes think because they carry guns that gives them the right to both domestic and international bufoonery. Oh! It hurts telling anyone I am Cameroonian. Can some one push some of them into the wreckage of the air craft and set them ablaze.

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

Che Sunday,
That's for sure.They are like gay burglars who broke in and rearranged the furnitures.If women complain about premenstrual syndrome,what shall the Cameroonians complain of?Corruption is a canker-worm plaguing La Republique deep inside the nooks and crannies of law enforcement officials.They wanted to go and sell the black box without even knowing the content.The only solution is that if we can't beat or challenge them, in the battle, we shall arrange to get them beaten or challenged.Time will tell.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Jesco]

Emah,

Thanks for that post. Unfortunately, it is the bitter truth. What a lawless and backward country we have here. It's really a no man's land.

[Jimmy Stan]

Où est passé Dakolé Daïssala ?
le ministre camerounais des Transports est toujours invisible.
Dakolé Daïssala, est porté disparu. Au plus, l’on a eu droit, pour le compte de son département ministériel qui assure la tutelle des transports arien, terrestre et maritimes au Cameroun, a un communiqué du directeur… adjoint de l’Autorité aéronautique, un organisme sous tutelle du ministère des Transports, qui, il faut le rappeler, a également en son sein un secrétaire d’Etat, en la personne de Badel Ndanga Ndinga.

Ce dernier, a-t-on appris hier, est d’ailleurs le représentant du ministère des Transports au sein de la délégation des cinq membres du gouvernement camerounais, qui ont rendu visite aux familles endeuillées hier à Douala. Dakolé Daïssala, lui, étant toujours invisible. Selon des sources internes aux services du Premier ministre (Pm), même Ephraïm Inoni, essaye en vain de joindre son ministre des Transports sur ses téléphones portables depuis le jour du crash. Le seul signe de vie du ministre des Transports depuis le crash est contenu dans la dernière édition de l’hebdomadaire Repères. Cité par ce journal, dont les responsables jurent avoir eu le ministre au tétéphone mardi dernier, Dakolé Daïssala se satisfait d’avoir été nommé à la tête de la commission d’enquête technique créée par le Pm à la suite du crash. “C’est la procédure normale. C’est une affaire technique et les experts c’est nous (...) Si on crée des ministères techniques, c’est pour qu’ils fassent leur travail”, affirme le ministre des Transports, qui fait apparemment valoir l’expertise de son département ministériel à mille lieux de la mangrove de Mbanga-Pongo.

Sur ce lieu du crash, Dakolé Daïssala a été précédé par son collègue kenyan, qui a dû sauter dans le premier vol de la compagnie Kenya Airways dès l’annonce du drame. Six jours après la catastrophe, l’on n’a toujours pas vu l’ombre du ministre camerounais des Transports sur le terrain. Lui, qui aurait dû être le guide de son homologue Kenyan.
Ce n’est pas la première fois qu’une telle indifférence est affichée par le Ministre Dakolé Daïssala, face aux malheureux évènements qui relèvent de son département ministériel. L’on se souvient qu’à la suite de l’accident de la circulation qui avait fauché 32 vies humaines dans la localité de Ngomo, sur la route Yaoundé-Bafousamn le 23 juin 2006 (collision entre le car d’une agence de voyages et un camion transportant du sable), Dakolé Daïssala avait attendu deux semaines pour réagir officiellement, au cours d’une descente au parc à camions d’Olembe, refuge des transporteurs de

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sable généralement impliqués dans les accidents de la circulation sur l’axe Yaoundé-Bafousam.

6 avril 1984
Alors que la mobilisation est générale autour du crash de l’avion de Kenya Airways, Dakolé Daïssala, selon des sources concordantes, s’occuperait tranquillement, dans le Grand Nord, des investitures des candidats de son parti politique, le Mouvement pour la défense de la République (Mdr), aux législatives et municipales du 22 juillet prochain. De ces élections, semble bien plus dépendre son avenir politique immédiat, qu’une gestion personnelle du drame qui vient d’endeuiller 114 familles. Avenir politique dont ne maîtrise pas autant le président du Mdr (revenu au gouvernement le 8 décembre 2004 alors que personne ne semblait l’y prédisposer, dans la mesure où il était seul député de son parti au parlement depuis 2002) qu’entre 1992 et 1997, période pendant laquelle Dakolé Daïssala avait plus l’oreille du locataire d’Etoudi, pour avoir permis au Rdpc, au terme des législatives de 1992, d’avoir la majorité des députés à l’Assemblée nationale, au détriment de l’opposition.

Le président du Mdr avait alors troqué l’entrée de ses six députés dans la majorité présidentielle contre le poste, très prestigieux à l’époque, de ministre des Postes et Télécoms. Un département ministériel doté d’un faramineux budget annexe sur lequel Dakolé Daïssala s’était appuyé pour éviter aux agents de son département ministériel les coupes claires effectuées sur les salaires des fonctionnaires camerounais en 1993. Un acte qui lui vaut, jusqu’à ce jour, de la sympathie au sein d’une certaine opinion. De même qu’au sein de la corporation des noceurs de la capitale, qui louent la simplicité de ce ministre pour qui les virées dans les bars ne sont pas l’apanage du petit peuple.
Mais, après pareilles virées la veille, le lendemain, il vaut mieux ne pas attendre le ministre des Transports au bureau avant une certaine heure. Et, surtout, ne pas être le malheureux collaborateur devant tenir une séance de travail avec lui. Car, en général, commentent ses collaborateurs, le climat de travail est souvent très tendu. Le ministre n’hésitant pas souvent à rabrouer tel ou tel collaborateur, puisant généralement dans ce franc-parler qui le caractérise.

Franc-parler que l’ancien directeur général de la Société des transports urbains du Cameroun (Sotuc) ne semble pas avoir perdu au cours de ses sept années de détention à la prison centrale de Kondengui (au lendemain de la tentative de coup d’Etat contre le régime Biya le 6 avril 1984). Un séjour au terme duquel il publie "Libre derrière les barreaux", le livre témoignage sur sa vie carcérale. Episode que Dakolé Daïssala n’oubliera certainement pas dans ses mémoires d’homme politique. Mais, osera-t-il y consigner le fait qu’étant ministre des Transports, il est resté complètement indifférent face à la douleur des familles des 114 victimes d’un crash aérien survenu le 5 mai 2007 à Douala ?

[Danny Boy]

Forumites,
I am intrigued here. What is the Minister guilty of? Did he engineer this accident and any others that have occurred before this? However much we detest what is happening in our country, we must try to put things into perspective. I am Cameroonian, whatever SCNC adherents want me to believe. They are but a pressure group with no mandate to exercise over the peoples of this provence.
I have had heated debates with some and I have come to the conclusion that these persons are not only dictatorial but sychophantic. Reason escapes them. Most are historical revisionists. They spin to suit their perceived agendas.
An accident like this which should be viewed as a setback to Man's effort to conquer, for good, the skies is taken and spun to suit their political agendas.
Dakole was not flying that plane and as a redneck would say, period.
I am tired of you SCNC "foot soldiers" posting your literature anywhere. This rebuke is but mild. I do not subscribe to any of the political parties in Cameroon. There are many like me, who do not want to read such claptrap, however well meaning.
Do not ignore the voices of the silent majority, who think you guys are but crackpots! They might just be right.