Lagos-bound Helicopter Crashes into Atlantic, All 11 Passengers Rescued

Lagos-bound Helicopter Crashes into Atlantic, All 11 Passengers Rescued
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By Our Reporter  on February 3, 2016   Breaking News

A Helicopter allegedly belonging to Bristow  Helicopters has crashed. The helicopter was said to be travelling from Port Harcourt to Lagos when it disappeared from radar. Daily Sun gathered that there were 9 passengers and two crew members
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in an sms said rescue operations is ongoing. While NEMA spokesperson, Ibrahim Farinloye said no live was lost, Aviationgist in a tweet said all 11 passengers onboard were discovered afloat at sea.
It said that Bristow Helicopter and Shell Agip assisted in rescuing the 11 passengers
The helicopter, an S76 C++ marked 5N-BQJ belonging to Bristow Helicopters, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with all 11 passengers on board.
All 11 eleven passenger were rescued alive.
Spokesman for the Accident and Investigation Bureau (AIB), Tunji Oketunbi in a statement said the Helicopter which departed ERHA Platform in Port Harcourt  enroute Lagos was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 95 nautical miles into destination at about 10:20am local time.
“All the eleven souls on board including two crew members were rescued alive,” Oketunbi said.
“The Accident Investigation Bureau AIB has commenced investigation into the occurrence. Details will be communicated later,” he added.
Daily Sun gathered that the helicopter crashed site had been located and efforts are on to retrieve the wreck.
 Earlier the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in an sms said rescue operations is ongoing.
While NEMA spokesperson, Ibrahim Farinloye said no live was lost, Aviationgist in a tweet said all 11 passengers onboard were discovered afloat at sea.
It said that Bristow Helicopter and Shell Agip assisted in rescuing the 11 passengers.
Last year, on August 13, a Bristow Sikosky S76 C+ helicopter had similarly crashed into the lagoon in Oworonshoki area of Lagos shortly before landing at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos killing six passengers. The helicopter marked 5N-BGD and operated by Bristow Helicopters crew departed SEDCO oil platform offshore en-route Lagos airport before it crashed at about 3pm.
There have been wide spread allegations within the aviation industry that the Sikosky 76 Helicopter that killed six of its 12 passengers including two crew members had actually been built with a configuration to carry eight and not up to 12 passengers, a trend many feared could have compromised its safety recently in the crash.
In recent years, the safety processes deployed by the management of Bristow Helicopters, a US based firm which carries out chartered flight operations for oil and gas firms in Nigeria have been a subject of concern to many.
Prior to this morning crash at the Atlantic Ocean, and last year’s crash in Lagos lagoon. Bristow Helicopters had recorded two other crashed in Eket and Port Harcourt which claimed the lives of passengers on board.