Following report by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) that a helicopter belonging to Bristow developed engine failure before it landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Friday, the helicopter service provider said its crew followed established aircraft procedure as a precautionary measure following a warning in the cockpit.
In a statement by Bristow, it stated “On October 25, 2019, a Bristow crew followed established aircraft procedure (in line with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority-approved Operations Manual Part B Checklist) to reduce an engine to idle power on an S-92 during flight as a precautionary measure following a warning in the cockpit.
“The aircraft was inbound to land at the Port Harcourt Nigerian Air Force Base from an offshore location with 11 passengers on board. The incident occurred in the Port Harcourt Control Zone with approximately 4 nautical miles (nm) to land. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the hangar without incident.”
Bristow also stated that it is working with the respective authorities leading the investigation into the incident.
Tunji Oketunbi, general manager, Public Affairs, AIB, said in a statement issued to BusinessDay that there was a serious incident involving a Bristow helicopter in Port Harcourt on the 25th October, 2019.
“We dispatched our investigators to site immediately. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) have been retrieved. It is a serious Incident since they declared emergency. We have commenced Investigation,” Oketunbi added.
