NSIB says crashed helicopter in Rivers violated aviation regulations

NSIB says crashed helicopter in Rivers violated aviation regulations

 The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the East
Wind Aviation helicopter that crashed in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, violated
aviation regulations.

 

On October 24, the helicopter crashed into the Atlantic
Ocean, while travelling from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base in Port
Harcourt.

 

The helicopter, hired by the Nigerian National Petroleum
Company (NNPC) Limited, had eight persons on board – with only five bodies
recovered so far.

 

Speaking at a media briefing on the bureau’s preliminary findings
on Wednesday, Alex Badeh, director-general (DG) of NSIB, said the helicopter
was not equipped with a flight data recorder (FDR).

 

Badeh said the absence of the FDR contravenes Section
7.8.2.2(q) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) Act 2023,
which mandates that helicopters with a maximum take-off weight between 3,175 kg
and 7,000 kg must be fitted with an FDR.

 

The DG added that the helicopter crew members used
non-standard phraseology throughout the flight.

 

“The helicopter was fitted with a solid-state cockpit voice
recorder; The helicopter was not fitted with a Flight Data Recorder; although
Part 7.8.2.2(q) of Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2023 requires
that FDR shall be fitted on the helicopter; The flight crew used non-standard
phraseology throughout the flight,” the NSIB boss said.

 

“There were no standard callouts for the various phases of
the flight; The helicopter Radio Altimeter (Rad alt) was snagged and deferred
on October 18, 2024, six days before the accident; No dew point data was
reported in the weather information passed to 5N-BQG on the day of the
occurrence.”

 

However, on November 8, NSIB said the flight data recorder
(FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), commonly known as the black box, were
retrieved from the crashed site.

 

The bureau said the black box contains crucial information
that will offer invaluable insights into the sequence of events leading up to
the accident, aiding the NSIB in determining the cause and informing any
necessary safety recommendations.

 

Speaking on the causes of the crash, Badeh said the
investigation revealed that the helicopter appeared to be struggling to
maintain balance before plunging into the ocean.

 

He further noted that the crew’s struggle was followed by an
aural warning from the aircraft, “Bank angle, Bank angle,” which was the last
recorded data on the cockpit voice recorder.

 

The DG urged the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to
enforce strict compliance with the Nig. CARs 2023 regulations, ensuring that
all eligible helicopters are equipped with FDRs as required.

 

‘THREE BODIES YET TO
BE FOUND’

 

Badeh said five bodies of the passengers were recovered,
while three bodies, including the flight crew and one passenger, are yet to be
found.

 

The NSIB also released a final report on the serious
accident involving a Beech Baron 58 aircraft operated by the Nigerian College
of Aviation Technology, Zaria, with registration number 5N-CAG.

 

The incident occurred on runway 5 at General Hassan Usman
Katsina International Airport, Kaduna, on December 31, 2022.

Source: NSIB says crashed helicopter in Rivers violated aviation regulations

 - NigerianEye
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