…As 9 Passengers, 2 Crew On Board Survives
A Bristow Helicopter has crashed into water with 11 people on board.
However, a source close to Bristow Helicopters told AbelNews that it was not a crash but a controlled ditching.
The helicopter was said to flying from Port Harcourt to Lagos.
Head, Public Affairs, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) Tunji Oketunbi, also confirmed the accident in an online statement.
According to Oketunbi, “A S76 C++ helicopter marked 5N-BQJ belonging to Bristow Helicopters, which departed ERHA Platform enroute Lagos was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles into destination at about 10:20am local time.”
He continued, “All the eleven souls on board including two crew members were rescued alive. Accident Investigation Bureau AIB has commenced investigation into the occurrence. Details will be communicated to you later.”
According skybrary.aero a controlled ditching is a controlled emergency landing of a helicopter on water. It is prompted by a sudden –on set emergency, where continued safe flight to the nearest adequate landing location of even suitable landing not ascertained.
The crash is coming barely six months after its Sikorsky S-76C with registration number 5N – BDG – 760540 crashed at Oworoshoki of Lagos Lagoon.
The Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed the accident.
He added that nine passengers and two crew were rescued alive but that he cannot confirm their state of health until they get to the hospital.
In the 2015 crash six of the 12 people on board died, while six others survived.
The site of the crash as at the time of compiling the report was yet to be ascertained.