How Bristow helicopter averted crash after engine failure on offshore platform
- 13 passengers unhurt, AIB begins probe
A graphic picture of an incident involving a helicopter belonging to Bristow Helicopters has been given by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the airline.
Spokesman for AIB, Tunji Oketunbi in a statement said the Sikorsky 92 aircraft declared emergency in an offshore platform enroute Port Harcourt from GERD with 13 passengers onboard, stressing that there were no fatality.
Oketunbi however noted that the accident investigative body had commenced investigation into the engine failure of a helicopter belonging to the airline in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to Oketunbi, from the information gathered so far, the pilot contacted the Air Traffic Control ATC declaring left Engine Failure, adding that the aircraft was cleared left Base Runway 22 for expeditious landing and landed safely.
He further stated that the AIB team of safety investigators from the regional office in Enugu had commenced investigation.
In a related development, the Helicopter company emphasized that the Bristow crew followed established aircraft procedure in line with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority approved Operations Manual Part B Checklist to reduce the engine to idle power on the helicopter as a precautionary measure following a warning in the cockpit.
However, there is conflict on the number of passengers onboard, the helicopter company says only 11 persons were on board while ain gave 13.
The airline disclosed that the aircraft was inbound to land at the Port Harcourt Nigerian Airforce Base from an offshore location with 11 passengers on board.
It added that the incident occurred in the Port Harcourt Control Zone with approximately 4 nautical miles (nm) to land, adding that the aircraft landed safely and taxied to the hangar without incident.
“The aircraft was inbound to land at the Port Harcourt Nigerian Airforce Base from an offshore location with 11 passengers on board”.
“The incident occurred in the Port Harcourt Control Zone with approximately 4 nautical miles (nm) to land. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the hangar without incident”.
“Bristow is working with the respective authorities leading the investigation into the incident”, the statement added
Google+