The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified the airworthiness status of the helicopter that crashed in Port Harcourt last week, countering claims that the aircraft was scrapped abroad in 2018.
In a statement, NCAA Director General Chris Najomo stated that contrary to assertions made by an online news platform, the helicopter with registration number 5N-BQG was indeed airworthy at the time of the incident.
On Thursday, a helicopter operated by East Wind Aviation and contracted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) crashed along the waterways of Rivers State at approximately 11:22 a.m.
The helicopter had taken off from Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) and was en route to the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN oil rig. There were eight individuals on board, of whom four bodies have been recovered thus far.
The online report alleged that the helicopter had been scrapped outside the country in 2018. In response, Najomo stated, “The attention of the Authority has been brought to a report by Sahara Reporters regarding the airworthiness status of the recently crashed helicopter with registration marks 5N-BQG prior to the crash.”
He further noted that the report incorrectly claimed the aircraft, originally registered in 2004 as 5N-BGN, was deregistered in Canada in 2009 and subsequently scrapped in 2018. The report concluded with questions about how the helicopter was later registered in Nigeria.
Najomo addressed the inaccuracies, stating, “Based on our records, the following items are stated here to correct the wrong information published by Sahara Reporters.” He emphasized that aircraft can be tracked by both their registration marks and their Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN).
“The S76C+ Helicopter with registration marks 5N-BQG has its MSN as 760486, while the 5N-BGN S76C+ Helicopter has its MSN as 760468,” he clarified. Najomo detailed the registration history of both helicopters, noting significant differences between them.
He explained that the S76C+ Helicopter with registration marks 5N-BQG was registered on December 10, 2012, and has undergone multiple changes in ownership and operator status, most recently on February 27, 2024, when it became registered to East Wind Aviation Logistics Services Limited.
“This data clearly indicates that Sahara Reporters could not accurately differentiate between the records of the recently crashed helicopter and the de-registered helicopter previously operated by Aero Contractors,” Najomo concluded.
