The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has confirmed the successful recovery of the “black box” from a Sikorsky SK76 helicopter that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Bonny Finima, near Calabar, on October 24, 2024.
The black box, which includes both the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder, is essential for uncovering the circumstances that led to the crash.
The ill-fated helicopter, operated by East Wind Aviation and contracted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, had been carrying six passengers along with a crew of two.
The aircraft went down in the ocean, and since the incident, search and recovery teams have been working tirelessly to locate the passengers, crew, and any wreckage that could aid in the investigation. So far, three bodies have been recovered from the site.
In a statement issued Friday morning, NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Bimbo Oladeji, confirmed the retrieval of the black box.
She reported that the recovery efforts were the result of coordinated operations involving several agencies, notably NNPC, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Navy, and HydroDive.
“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), in collaboration with its Search and Recovery partners NNPC, NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, and HydroDive, has recovered the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, registration 5N-BQG, which ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Bonny Finima on October 24, 2024,” Oladeji said.
She explained that NSIB and its partners, both local and international, had been working around the clock since the crash to recover remains and gather vital components for a thorough investigation.
The successful retrieval of the black box was a breakthrough in these efforts, happening in the early hours of Friday.
The FDR and CVR, often referred to as the aircraft’s black box, were retrieved early this morning.
The recovered recorders have now been secured for transportation to NSIB’s data analysis laboratory, where specialists will begin the process of data extraction and examination.
This investigation will help determine the operational and technical circumstances that may have contributed to the crash, providing crucial insights into what went wrong.
Oladeji added that NSIB’s Director General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., praised the dedication of the recovery teams and highlighted the importance of this investigation for future safety.
“The recovery of the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder marks a monumental step in understanding what led to this tragic accident. The black box holds vital information that will provide invaluable insight into the sequence of events leading up to the crash, which will help us determine the cause and inform any necessary safety recommendations,” Badeh stated.
Oladeji expressed that the families of those still unaccounted for remain in the thoughts of NSIB and its partners, with further efforts ongoing to locate the missing individuals and provide answers to those affected.
“While our thoughts are with the families of those still unaccounted for, concerted efforts are being made to find the missing individuals and provide answers to the families affected by this accident,” she concluded.
