AIB Releases Preliminary Report On Lagos Helicopter Crash

Accident Investigation Bureau has released a preliminary report on the helicopter crash that occurred at the Opebi area of Lagos State on August 28, 2020.

The accident, which claimed the lives of three people including the pilot, involved a Bell 206B III Helicopter with nationality and registration marks 5N-BQW operated by Quorum Aviation Limited.

Read Also: Two Confirmed Dead, One Injured As Helicopter Crashes Into Residential Building In Opebi, Lagos (photos/video)

According to AIB’s report, the helicopter had no fuel left in the fuel tanks after the crash.

Though the report indicated that the chopper was fitted with a long range extender fuel system, it, however, did not have capacity for fuel jettison.

Experts say the chopper could have crashed on account of inadequate fuel that could not get it two minutes away to the Lagos Airport.

According to AIB, the chopper which took off from Port Harcourt at 9.20 am estimated to land in Lagos state after two hours forty minutes crashed into residential building at 12.14 pm.

The report indicated that though the chopper was topped to full tank capacity on August 27, 2020 it failed to make it to the Lagos Airport a minute before the estimated time.

It also revealed that the helicopter had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness as the pilot’s last medical examination was valid till August 6, 2020, adding that the pilot’s last proficiency check was valid till August 24.

It indicated that there was no evidence to show that an application for an exemption provided by the All Operators’ Letter (AOL) DG02020 had been submitted to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

A part of the report reads;

The helicopter crashed into the roof of a building and a wall fence impacting two vehicles parked in the compound. The mast and main rotor blades were found intact during the post-crash inspection. Post occurrence examination revealed that the fuel tanks were empty.

It further reads;

The helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder. Neither was required by the relevant aviation regulations but equipped with a Garmic GNC Global Positioning System.