The Federal Government has confirmed that the helicopter involved in the tragic crash near Bonny Finima, off the coast of Calabar, violated several regulations set by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR).
This follows an investigation by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) into the crash of the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter operated by East Aviation, which occurred on October 24, 2023.
The helicopter, contracted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with six passengers and two crew members aboard.
So far, five bodies have been recovered, with three passengers still missing.
While the NSIB did not directly link the regulatory violations to the cause of the crash, the findings revealed gaps in compliance with aviation safety standards.
According to Alex Badeh, Director-General of NSIB, the helicopter was not equipped with a Flight Data Recorder (FDR), as required under Part 7.8.2.2(q) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.
The absence of this key safety feature is a breach of aviation protocols.
Further findings indicated that the flight crew used non-standard phraseology throughout the flight and failed to follow proper communication procedures.
The report also noted that there were no standard callouts during various phases of the flight.
Additionally, a malfunction in the helicopter’s radio altimeter had been reported six days before the crash but was deferred for later attention, and no dew point data was included in the weather information provided to the crew on the day of the incident.
Badeh explained that the final moments of the helicopter’s flight involved the crew struggling to maintain control before it crashed into the ocean.
The last recorded data from the cockpit voice recorder was an aural warning, “Bank angle, Bank angle,” followed by smoke emanating from the engine before the helicopter ditched into the water.
The NSIB also released a final report on another aviation accident, involving a Beech Baron 58 aircraft operated by the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), which crashed at the General Hassan Usman Katsina International Airport in Kaduna on December 31, 2022.
Following these findings, the NSIB has urged the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure stricter enforcement of aviation safety regulations, specifically the requirement that all helicopters with a maximum take-off mass between 3,175 kg and 7,000 kg be fitted with a Flight Data Recorder.
