- Three bodies still missing
- NSIB extends search to Cameroon
The Federal Government has said experts from the United States of America (U.S.A) and France will join Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) investigators to examine the wreckage of the helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on October 24 in Rivers State.
Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo announced this while addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja.
The minister explained that both countries were asked to join the investigation because the helicopter was designed and manufactured in the U.S.A., while its engine was designed and manufactured in France.
The Sikorsky SK76 helicopter with registration number 5N-BQG crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the Coast of Bonny Finima on October 24.
The helicopter, which is operated by Eastwind Aviation, had six passengers and two crew members on board at the time of the accident.
So far, five bodies have been found, while three others are still missing.
Keyamo said the helicopter’s engines and other related components would be examined at the NSIB wreckage hangar in Abuja after being subjected to a teardown.
He said: “The participating states on this issue are the United States of America. As the state of design and manufacture of the helicopter, it has appointed a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator.
“So, we are cooperating and collaborating with the United States, where it was manufactured, and they have actually appointed an investigator to work with us. He is an accredited representative of the NTSB in America, assisted by a technical advisor, nominated by Sikorsky Aircraft.
“Meanwhile, France, as a state of design and manufacture of the engines, has appointed an accredited representative assisted by a technical advisor from SAFRAN, the engine manufacturer, because the engine was manufactured in France.”
The minister stressed that the examination aimed at finding safety issues and recommending a safety change to prevent a similar occurrence.
“We will examine the roles of man, machine, and the environment that might have directly or indirectly contributed to this accident. We will review the certified maintenance documents of the crashed helicopter and the crew’s training and medical records. We have received full cooperation from the operator.
As I speak with you, all the agencies of the aviation – NCAA, NAMA, and NiMet – are cooperating with the NSIB.”
Giving details of the efforts the ministry and its agencies had made over the crashed helicopter, Keyamo said: “Over 60 personnel were mobilised to the sites, including professional divers and other technical experts. We deployed marine vessels and diver boats equipped with sophisticated gadgets for scanning the seabed and tracking the depth of the sea around the vicinity of the accident sites varied from 40 to 100 metres.
“It is imperative to mention that the search and rescue operations continued unabated day and night for 14 days.
“So far, five bodies identified to be those of the deceased passengers were recovered, while one passenger and two crew members are yet to be found.”
On the identities of the victims, the minister said: “No foreigner was on board the ill-fated helicopter. They were all Nigerians.”
Commenting on the fate of the three missing bodies, the Director General of NSIB, Alex Badeh Jr., said the search continued.
He said: “As you know, the Federal Government does not give up on any Nigerian citizen lost or harmed anywhere. So, the Nigerian government, through the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, is still conducting a long-term search and recovery effort for the missing two crew members and one missing passenger.
“We have notified others in the littoral waters, Cameroon in particular, to see if anybody floats up into their waters. As you know, we found one body in Cameroon a few days later. So, we’re still looking. The Navy is still on the lookout and so is the NNPCL. So, Nigeria will not give up on the missing victims.
“We suspect that the other three may have floated into Cameroon, and the NSIB has also informed the Cameroonian authorities to also assist at their end because we don’t have the right to just get into their waters without adequate clearance.”
Badeh also said families of the victims would be offered support, adding: “With the Family Assistance Programme mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), we provide emotional support, psychological support as well as update them as we go on with the investigation.”
