Crashed copter: AIB releases manifest

LAGOS — The Accident Investigation Bureau , AIB, yesterday released the names of 12 people including the six victims on board the Bristow Helicopter that crashed in Lagos last Wednesday.

Debris at the scene of the crash

The six victims are Chukwuma Erise, Chidi Ukwunta, Ita Ekpeyong, Chris Abua, Joseph Wyatt (Captain) and Peter Kayode Bello( co-pilot).
According to Mr Tunji Oketunbi, General Manager, Public Affairs, AIB, “the Accident Investigation Bureau today (yesterday) released the passenger manifest for the helicopter that crashed last week in Oworonsoki area of Lagos, Nigeria.

“Please find below the names of the passengers and the crew on the manifest of the ill-fated flight. They are: Ita Ekpeyong, Joshua Emekeme, Dolu Ebiejuara, Onoriode Onojete, Chukwuma Erise, Solomon Udeh, Chidi Ukwunta, Iniala Opaimi, Chris Abua, Chukwudi Onah, Joseph Wyatt (Captain), Peter Kayode Bello (co-pilot)”

“The Sikorsky S76 C+ helicopter crashed into the lagoon in Oworonsoki area of Lagos on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 shortly before landing at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The helicopter marked 5N-BGD and operated by Bristow Helicopters departed SEDCO oil platform offshore en-route Lagos airport.”

It will be recalled that the Flight Data Recorder and Corkpit Voice Recorder, CVR, were recovered last Friday by the AIB, after two days of frantic search for the two items that will aid and quicken investigation of the crashed helicopter.

Oketunbi had said last Friday that “the Accident Investigation Bureau announced that the flight recorders, popularly known as black boxes, to the Sikosky 76 helicopter that crashed into the lagoon in Oworonsoki area of Lagos on Wednesday 12 August, 2015 have been recovered.”

“The search party led by Julius Berger with the assistance of a hired diver located the recorders, which are expected to assist the investigators in unraveling the cause of the accident in which four passengers and two crew members were fatally injured. Six other passengers are receiving treatment at a private hospital.”

“The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) contains data generated from different parts of the aircraft including the engines and the avionics while the Cockpit Voice Recorder will unveil conversations within the cockpit and between the pilots and the Control Tower.”

“The biggest part of the wreckage of the ill fated aircraft was recovered yesterday but without the black boxes. The search was resumed today (Friday).”

According to AIB, investigation has extended to retrieving documents and other materials from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the airline operator.