Police Give Update on Port Harcourt Helicopter Crash

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the tragic loss of eight lives following the crash of an Eastwind Aviation helicopter into the Bonny River in Rivers State.

The helicopter was carrying six passengers and two crew members and was en route from Port Harcourt Military Base to the FPSO Nuim Antan offshore platform near Calabar when it went down. Authorities fear that everyone on board did not survive the incident.

Police Public Relations Officer Grace Iringe-Koko provided details about the crash, stating that the incident was reported by Ifeanyi Udogwu, an employee of Antan Producing Limited.

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The helicopter, identified by its call sign 5N-BQG (S76C+), took off from the NAF Base in Port Harcourt at around 11 a.m. before crashing near the Mimbo platform and the FPSO of Antan Producing Limited.

The Rivers State Police Marine Division is currently working with other agencies to recover the wreckage and locate the missing occupants. Iringe-Koko expressed the Command’s heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.

The Ministry of Aviation has also confirmed the incident, with spokesperson Odutayo Oluseyi noting that three bodies have been recovered so far. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the remaining passengers, who were reportedly contract workers for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

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The helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 registered as 5N-BQG, was heading to the Nuimantan Oil Rig when it ditched near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, no Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was received, prompting manual tracking efforts.

Agencies including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit have deployed resources for the recovery efforts, with military support and low-flying aircraft assisting in the operation.

The National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has initiated an investigation into the crash. In a statement, Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at NSIB, explained that the helicopter was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and did not transmit an ELT signal, necessitating a manual search.

NSIB Director General Captain Alex Badeh Jr. expressed condolences to the affected families and emphasized the bureau’s commitment to determining the cause of the accident, urging the public to refrain from speculation while the investigation is ongoing.

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