Banda Yusuf |
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) told the media on Monday that Bell 206B 111 Helicopter, which crashed into a house in Opebi area of Ikeja, Lagos, on August 28. didn’t have fuel left in its tanks when it crashed. All three onboard the helicopter lost their lives.
The Bureau on Monday said the helicopter with registration number: 5N-BQW operated by Quorum Aviation Limited, had 3:15 minutes endurance fuel, while the estimated flight time was 2:45hrs to Lagos from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, but the aircraft crashed at 2:59hrs, indicating 14 minutes behind estimated time.
The helicopter was topped to full tank capacity on August 27, after which the engine was run for 10 minutes and a 20-minute test flight were carried out the on the helicopter in Port Harcourt, the same day.
The bureau highlight the following in its preliminary report on the helicopter crash:
i. “The helicopter has an endurance of 3:24hrs. The operational flight plan filed by the pilot indicated an endurance of 3:15hrs and an estimated flight time of 2:45hrs.
ii. The helicopter engine was started at 09:15hrs. The helicopter took off at 09:20hrs. The helicopter crashed at 12:14hrs.
iii. There was no fuel left in the fuel tanks after the crash.
iv. The mast and main rotor blades were found intact during the post-crash inspection.”
v. The pilot, 37, last medical examination was valid till August 6, 2020, 22 days before the crash, without evidence to show that an application for the exemption provided by the All Operators’ Letter (AOL) DG020/20 had been submitted to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) by the pilot as at the time of the crash.
vi. The pilot’s last Proficiency Check was valid till August 24, which was four days before the crash. Again, without evidence to show that an application for the exemption provided by the AOL DG018/20 had been submitted to the regulatory agency.
The bureau, however, noted that the helicopter had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness.
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