The flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Bonny Finima, Rivers State, have been recovered.
ThIs was disclosed on Friday by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSI via a issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Bimbo Oladeji.
The ill-fate helicopter, operated by East Wind Aviation and hired by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, came down on October 24, 2024 shortly after take-off in Port Harcourt.
Two weeks later, on Friday, the NSIB nnounced that the black box has been retrieved.
The NSIB spokesperson revealed that the devices were found in collaboration with Search and Recovery partners NNPC, NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, and HydroDive.
Her words: “The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), in conjunction with the 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.
“Since the accident, NSIB and its Search and Recovery partners have coordinated a search and recovery effort in collaboration with local and international partners to locate and retrieve the bodies of the deceased and the critical components necessary for a comprehensive investigation.
“The FDR and CVR, commonly referred to as the aircraft’s “black box,” was retrieved early this morning,” the statement said.
- Data from the equipment will help investigators determine the events preceding the crash and identify its cause.
Oladeji said the recovered recorder has been secured for transport to the bureau’s data analysis lab.
“It will undergo data extraction and analysis by NSIB’s specialists to gain insights into the operational and technical conditions preceding the accident and to help determine the cause of the accident,” she stated.
The Director General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., commended the recovery teams and stressed the importance of the investigation.
He said: “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 accident, which will help us determine the cause and inform any necessary safety recommendations.
“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.”
The aircraft, carrying six passengers and two crew members, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, off the coast of Calabar.
Three bodies have so far been recovered from the site of the crash.