Eight persons, including six oil workers and two crew members, are feared dead when an Eastwind Aviation and Logistics Services Limited helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday morning.
Industry sources said the incident occurred around Mimbo Field, a floating production storage and offloading facility in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 123.
It was gathered that the aircraft, which is believed to be leased from EALSL, suddenly lost power and crashed into the ocean.
The company, which prides itself on delivery of ‘operational excellence safely”, could not be reached for comment at the time of this report.
The company was founded in 2021 and offers helicopter services to Nigerian domestic markets in the oil and gas sector and operates from its headquarters in Lagos and Port Harcourt
The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development confirmed that eight persons were on board when the helicopter “ditched into the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.”
A statement by Odutayo Oluseyi, Head, Press and Public Relations, said the ministry “received the distressing report of a helicopter accident that occurred today, 24th October 2024, at about 11:22 a.m., along the waterways in Port Harcourt.
“The helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 with registration 5NBQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, was en route from Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) to the NUIMANTAN oil rig.
“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has been notified and emergency response teams were immediately activated, and search and rescue operations are ongoing with the support of the Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), and other relevant agencies.
“Neighbouring aerodromes have also been notified for support.
“While no Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was received, manual efforts to plot the location of the accident are underway, and all available resources, including the military and low-flying aircraft, have been deployed to assist in locating and rescuing any survivor(s).
“So far, three bodies have been recovered.
“The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, is actively working with all relevant agencies to ensure a coordinated response and to minimize casualties from this unfortunate incident.
“Further information will be provided as details emerge.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those on board, and we are committed to providing the necessary support during this difficult time,” the statement added.
