A Lagos-bound helicopter belonging to Bristow Helicopters, has crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
The spokesman for Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, said in a press statement that all the 11 passengers, including the crew, were rescued alive.
“A S76 C++ helicopter marked 5N-BQJ belonging to Bristow Helicopters, which departed ERHA Platform en route Lagos, was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles to its destination at about 10:20am local time.
“All the eleven souls on board including two crew members were rescued alive. Accident Investigation Bureau AIB has commenced investigation into the occurrence,” said Oketunbi in a press statement.
Meanwhile, a source at Bristow Helicopters said it was not a crash, but what he described as “controlled ditching.”
Controlled ditching is an emergency landing of a helicopter on water. It is prompted by a sudden –on set emergency, where continued safe flight to the nearest adequate landing location of even suitable landing not ascertained.
It would be recalled that the latest crash is the second in about six months that Bristow Helicopters has recorded a crash. On August 12, 2015, a helicopter belonging to the company crashed into the Oworonshoki lagoon in Lagos claiming six of the 12 twelve passengers on board, including the crew.
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