Lagos Helicopter Crash: Accident Bureau Says Pilot Had No Valid Papers
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) on Monday said the pilot who flew a Quorum Helicopter that crashed into a building in Opebi, Lagos, on August 28, had no valid medical papers.
Three men were involved in the helicopter crash.
Two bodies were immediately recovered at the accident scene and taken to the mortuary, while the third victim was taken to LASUTH, where he later died.
The AIB in its interim report said that the helicopter had a valid certificate of airworthiness but the pilot’s last medical examination was “valid till the 6th of August 2020”.
“There was no evidence to show that any application for the exemption provided by the All Operators’ Letter AOL DG020/20 had been submitted to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,”the report said.
“The helicopter with registration marks 5N-BQW, operated by Quorum Aviation Limited, was topped up with 247 litres of fuel to full tank capacity on ground Port Harcourt Military airport (DNPM).
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“The technical logbook entry revealed that there was an engine run for 10 minutes and a test flight of 20 minutes in preparation for a positioning flight the next day.
“On 28th August 2020 at 09:15 h, 5N-BQW was started and at 09:20 h, the helicopter lifted off from DNPM as a ferry flight to EAN Aviation hangar, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (DNMM).
“The flight was operated on a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan. According to the flight plan, onboard were one pilot, an engineer and a fitter mechanic with fuel endurance of 3:15 h.”
The AIB in its additional findings noted that the helicopter was topped to full tank capacity on 27th August, 2020 but after refuelling, 10 minutes of engine run and 20 minutes of test flight were
carried out on 27th August, 2020 at Port Harcourt.
It added that the helicopter engine was started at 09:15 hr; it took off at 09:20 h and crashed at 12:14 h.
“There was no fuel left in the fuel tanks after the crash,” it said.
