The preliminary report issued by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has attributed the recent crash of the helicopter carrying the Vice President of Nigeria to ‘Brownout’.
While issuing the report yesterday at AIB head office in Lagos, Akin Olateru, commissioner of AIB said that although, the helicopter had a valid certificate of airworthiness,
it hovered to land in a brownout condition.
He explained that brownout in helicopter operations is an in-flight visibility restriction caused by dust or sand in which the flight crew losses visual contact with nearby objects that provide the outside visual references necessary to control the helicopter near the ground.
It will be recalled that on 2nd of February, a helicopter operated by Caverton carrying Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President of Nigeria alongside eleven people on board including the crew was involved in a crash, although no one sustained injury.
The helicopter with registration number 5N-CML departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, to conduct a chartered VIP flight from Abuja to Okene via Kabba and then return to Abuja.
According to Olateru, “During cruise at 5,000 ft and at about 10 minutes to touchdown, the crew noticed the flight recorder light on the Crew Alerting System (CAS) come on. Quick Reference Handbook items were accomplished. Another helicopter operated by Nigeria Police Force (Bell 412; 5N-PEJ) landed ahead of NGR002.
“The crew briefed on landing in brownout and used the Company’s Brownout Landing Procedures. During the landing, at about 50 ft to touchdown, a heavy brownout enveloped the helicopter and the crew lost visual contact with the ground.
“The Co-Pilot called out radio altimeter 35, 30, 25, 20, 15 and no more. At about 14:34hour, the helicopter touched down hard on the right main landing gear and rolled over to the right.”
He noted that the crew carried out emergency landing procedures which included immediate engines shut down, fuel shut off, battery switch off, and generators switch off and all occupants of the helicopter were evacuated uninjured, adding that the helicopter was substantially damaged.
Olateru gave immediate safety recommendations requesting that NCAA issues an advisory circular to all helicopter operators flying in Nigeria to be alert of the possibility and the effect of brownout and appropriate procedures be put in place to mitigate its effects.
“Caverton Helicopters Limited should ensure that flight operations are carried out in accordance with the company’s approved operations manual, vis-a-vis site survey and proper safety risk analysis are done before dispatching any helicopter to unapproved landing pads,” he added.
