Black box to unravel cause of Bristow helicopter crash in Nigeria

Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) announced that the flight recorders, known as black boxes, to the Sikorsky 76 helicopter that crashed into the lagoon in Oworonshoki area of Lagos, Nigeria on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 had been recovered.

The Sikorsky 76 helicopter marked 5N-BGD and operated by Bristow Helicopters was believed to have departed SEDCO oil platform offshore and crashed shortly before landing at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to AIB, the search party led by Julius Berger with the assistance of a hired diver located the recorders, which are expected to assist the investigators in unraveling the cause of the accident in which four passengers and two crew members were fatally injured. Six other passengers are receiving treatment at a private hospitals.

AIB explained that the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) contains data generated from different parts of the aircraft including the engines and the avionics while the Cockpit Voice Recorder will unveil conversations within the cockpit and between the pilots and the Control Tower.

According to the bureau, investigation has extended to retrieving documents and other materials from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the airline operator.

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