AIB: 2020 Lagos helicopter crash caused by insufficient fuel

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) says the Quorum helicopter that crashed in Lagos was due to fuel exhaustion at low altitude and low speed leading to loss of control in flight. 

The fatal accident, which involved Quorum Aviation Limited Bell 206B3 helicopter with registration 5N-BQW, occurred at Opebi, Lagos, on August 28 2020.

Akin Olateru, the AIB commissioner, disclosed this when he released accident reports for 2018 to 2020 in Abuja on Thursday. 

Olateru said the report was released as part of AIB’s mandate of investigating aircraft accidents and incidents with the intent of intensifying air safety.

The commissioner said the pilot’s decision to continue the flight towards the intended destination with insufficient fuel — instead of landing as soon as practicable in line with section 12.12 of Quorum Aviation Limited Operations Manual Part A — was part of the contributing factor that led to the fatal accident.

According to the commissioner, the lack of effective management supervision of the airline’s flight operations and inadequate safety oversight of Quorum Aviation Limited also contributed to the crash.

He noted that while the bureau had since its establishment in 2007, recorded 72 accidents.

“The reports of today contains a total of 12 safety recommendations, which are addressed to the regulatory body, the affected airlines, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), among others,” Olateru said.

“The bureau has now released 232 safety recommendations since inception, with 151 of the recommendations released by the current administration.

“The reports to be released today include the accident involving Quorum Aviation Ltd., Bell 206B3 Helicopter with registration 5N-BQW, which occurred at Opebi, Lagos state on Aug.28, 2020.

“The accident involving Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Ltd., Air Tractor AT-401B Aircraft with 5N-BTV, which occurred at Rukubi Village 90NM South-East of Abuja on Oct.4, 2018.”

AIB-N RELEASES REPORT ON QUORUM HELICOPTER CRASH, THREE OTHERS pic.twitter.com/NUdyHba1kg

— Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (@nsib_nigeria) February 24, 2022

He said the contributory factor of the accident was an undetermined engine failure at a low altitude that necessitated execution of emergency forced-landing on farmland.

“The serious incident involving Nigeria Police Air Wing Bell 429 helicopter with registration 5N-MDA, which occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja on Aug. 3, 2019,” he added.

He attributed the causal factor of the incident to a lack of communication to update the crew on the current serviceability status of the ground handling wheel before arrival at NAIA.

Furthermore, he said that there was a serious incident involving Skypower Express Airways Nigeria Ltd’s Cessna 172 Aircraft with registration 5N-APE at Bini Village, Niger State on November 19, 2019.

Olateru mentioned that the contributory factor of the serious incident was the shift of the engine oil seal at the top of the pushrod.

He also released a report on the ground collision involving a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) truck with registration AKD765FK and Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Bell 412 helicopter with registration NAF 600, which occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

He said the causal factor of the ground collision was the driver’s misjudgement of the clearance between the truck and the helicopter main rotor blades.