Exclusive: Sikorsky helicopter was declared scrappy before crash in Rivers

A Sikorsky SK76c helicopter with registration 5N-BQG, which reportedly crashed off the coast of Bonny Finima near Port Harcourt, was presumed scrapped in 2018, according to SaharaReporters’ investigation.

Operated by EastWind Aviation, the helicopter was transporting contract staff to the FPSO NUIMS ANTAN facility when it crashed on Thursday.

The helicopter, manufactured in 1997, has a history of ownership changes and had been previously deemed unusable.

Originally delivered to Helikopter Service, it later changed hands multiple times across Hong Kong, Nigeria, Canada, and Indonesia. According to records, the helicopter was registered as “presumably scrapped” in September 2018.

Following the crash, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) announced efforts to deploy an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to locate critical components like the black box.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) confirmed that five individuals remain missing, while three bodies have been recovered.

The incident raises concerns regarding aviation regulations and the protocols for certifying aircraft in Nigeria, as the helicopter was allegedly reintroduced despite a scrapped status.

According to Wikipedia, six Sikorsky S-76 choppers crashed between 2002 and 2020.

On 17 July 2002, S-76A G-BJVX, operated by Bristow Helicopters, crashed into the North Sea due to the failure of a main rotor blade.

On 10 August 2005, a Sikorsky S-76C+ flying Copterline Flight 103 crashed into Tallinn Bay in the Gulf of Finland. The cause was a failure of the hydraulic flight control system.

On 31 May 2013, an S-76A air ambulance, operated by Ornge, crashed near Moosonee Airport, Canada. The cause was inadequate training of pilots for night-time operations.

On 10 March 2017, S-76C++ TC-HEZ, operated by Swan Aviation, crashed during a private charter flight in Istanbul, Turkey. The cause is unknown, but poor visibility conditions were present at the time.

On 26 January 2020, S-76B N72EX crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine occupants, including the retired professional basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.

The cause was determined to be the pilot Ara Zobayan experiencing spatial disorientation due to heavy fog, as well as pilot error.

On 16 September 2020, an S-76A air ambulance of the Philippine Air Force crashed in Basilan Province in Southern Philippines during bad weather conditions, killing all four military crew members onboard.