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 Tuesday, 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.