The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo Wednesday hinted that the intricate process of reading out the Black box recordings of the ill-fated AN S76C helicopter registered 5N-BQG and operated by Eastwind Aviation which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, begins immediately.
This was even as he revealed that the United States of America, as the State of design and Manufacturer of the helicopter, has appointed an investigator as the Credited Representative, assisted by a Technical Adviser nominated by Sikorsky Aircraft.
Keyamo added that France, as the State of Design and Manufacturer of the engines, has also appointed an Accredited Representative, assisted by a Technical Adviser from SANFRA, to aid further investigations.
The minister, while briefing the Press alongside Director General of NSIB, NCAA and NAMA in Abuja said the preliminary reports would be published on its website within 30 days.
He said: “All things being equal, we will publish the Preliminary Report on the NSIB website within 30 days. Usually, it takes up to a year or more to develop the final and possible safety recommendations.
“Additionally the NSIB’s family assistance department in collaboration with the NCAA and the NNPC will be working with the bereaved family members to bring them some comfort in these difficult times.”
Keyamo noted the objective is to conduct a thorough investigation using available techniques to find a safety issue and recommend a safety change to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.
His words: “We will examine the roles of man, machine and the environment that might have directly or indirectly contributed to the accident.
“In the process, we will review the certified maintenance documents of the crashed helicopter and the crew’s training and medical records. We have received full cooperation from the operator, NCAA, NAMA and NiMet.
“The helicopter engines and related components will be thoroughly examined at our wreckage hangar in Abuja after being subjected to a teardown exercise.”