By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
THE BLACK box from the East Wind Aviation-operated Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Bonny Finima, Rivers State, on October 24, has been retrieved by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
This development came nearly two weeks after the tragic accident, which saw the helicopter, hired by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, plummet into the ocean, claiming the lives of at least five of its occupants.
According to Bimbo Oladeji, NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) were secured early Friday through a coordinated recovery effort with NNPC, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Navy, and HydroDive.
These recorders, critical for reconstructing flight performance and cockpit conversations, are essential to the investigation and will be analyzed at NSIB’s lab.
NSIB’s Director-General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., emphasized the significance of recovering the black box, stating,
“The black box holds vital data that will aid in uncovering the cause of this tragic accident and formulating safety recommendations.”
He also assured that efforts to locate three passengers still missing would continue, with collaborative search operations aimed at providing closure for the affected families.
The helicopter, carrying six passengers and two crew members, was en route from the Nigerian Air Force base in Port Harcourt when it crashed into the Atlantic near Bonny Finima at approximately 11:22 a.m.
Since then, five bodies have been recovered, with ongoing efforts to find the remaining three.
Badeh expressed appreciation for the recovery teams, reaffirming NSIB’s commitment to a thorough investigation to ensure aviation safety improvements.
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