• Says three bodies still missing 

Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released the preliminary report of the Sikorsky S76C aircraft that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, in Port Harcourt, including the final investigation reports of six incidents across Nigerian airports.

The Director General of NSIB, Dr Alex Badeh Jnr, while presenting the preliminary findings of the air crash to stakeholders, yesterday, in Abuja, disclosed they had so far recorded five bodies from the ill-fated incident, while the bodies of two crew members remained missing.

The preliminary report noted that the occurrence was not survivable as the helicopter disintegrated upon impact with the water surface and its various parts scattered, adding that some life vests and three bodies were recovered from the crash area, while some of the bodies recovered had inflated life vests on them.

The initial findings from the report showed that the helicopter was not fitted with a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) although Part 7.8.2.2(q) of Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2023 requires that FDR shall be fitted on the helicopter to enable investigators playback the occurrence.

It also revealed that the flight crew used non-standard phraseology throughout the flight, adding that there were no standard callouts for the various phases of the flight.

The bureau, in its safety recommendation, urged the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to ensure strict compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2023, Part 7.8.2.2(q), which requires that all helicopters, with a maximum takeoff mass over 3175 kg and up to 7000 kg, to be fitted with a Flight Data Recorder (FDR).