A Tragic End

Thisday

  victims of the ill-fated Sikosky 76 Bristow Helicopter

Chiemelie Ezeobi chronicles the tragedy of the crash of the ill-fated Sikosky 76 Bristow Helicopter, which claimed six lives at the Oworonsoki area of Lagos

It was a typical Wednesday. Precisely on August 12, 2015. The day started off pretty well. In fact, the sun couldn't have shone brighter. That was all to change at about 3pm when the day went awry and threw the nation into mourning.

At the Oworonsoki suburb of Lagos, the residents were going about their usual activities when the sound of a helicopter drew nigh. For them , it wasn't an usual sight to hear airplanes and aircrafts fly past, so there practically ignored it.

However, their attention was again turned to the helicopter and their alarm grew. The said helicopter was flying precariously too low for safety. Immediately it started to nose dive, the residents all scampered to safety. The helicopter after battling to stay up nosedived into the lagoon.

Into the lagoon went the Sikosky 76 Bristow Helicopter went 10 passengers and two crew members of Bristow Helicopter. The helicopter was flown by an American pilot and his first officer.

At the Crash Site

It was a beehive of activities at the crash site. Rescue agencies like Special Boats Services of the Nigerian Navy, the Marine Police, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and their state counterpart LASEMA, thronged the site.

Also there to begin investigations was the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as well as members of staff of Bristow airline. Others were the state Fire Service, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

copter crashed, six persons were rescued alive, while four dead bodies were initially recovered. The lucky victims were taken to the Gbagada General Hospital and Afolabi Private Hospital at Oworonsoki, while the search had continued for the two remaining bodies.

The South-west Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, who had initially confirmed the crash had said both primary and secondary responders responders were deployed immediately  to the site.

Although he said search and rescue operations would continue overnight to recover the remaining two bodies, that was not to be as the equipment to use wasn't available.

Nearly 20 hours after the ill-fated helicopter crashed, the remaining bodies of the two passengers were recovered. The recovery of the two corpses brought to a total of six, the number of persons who died after the helicopter nosedived.

Among the deceased persons were the two crew members (both pilots) of Bristow Helicopter, which includes the Captain, Joseph Wyatt and Peter Bello.

While the captain fondly referred to as Jay hailed from Oklahoma in the United States and has flown for years for the company, the First Officer, Peter Bello, a young Nigerian, merely joined last year.

Bello was said to have been employed by the company after graduating from Bristow Academy’s helicopter flight school.

Meanwhile, six survivors who were initially taken to the Gbagada General Hospital and Afolabi Private Hospital at Oworonsoki, after the crash were transferred to St. Nicholas Hospital on the Island.

The survivors are Solomon Udeh and Joshua Emekeme at who were initially at Afolabi Hospital; and Iniala Opaimi, Dolu Ebiejuara, Chukwudi Onah and Onara Onoriode-Ojiete who were T Gbagada Hospital.

A visit to Burns unit of the Gbagada General Hospital had revealed that the survivors were transferred the next day after they had stabilised. Further visit to St. Nicholas Hospital also confirmed that they were all admitted and were on the third floor of the hospital.

THISDAY was refused access by a female member of staff at the reception, who said only immediate family members could visit. A cursory glance at the visitors register on the counter at the reception, however showed that the duo of Solomon Udeh and Joshua Emekeme received visitors at about 1pm yesterday.

When contacted, one of the visitors who would not want the identity revealed said Emekeme is currently doing okay. The source said, "I can tell you that Joshua is doing just fine. I was able to see him today and I can assure you that he is receiving treatment."

When urged to reveal what Emekeme divulged as the cause of the crash, the source said, "What happened is not what I can explain now because Joshua was not able to tell me that. We are more focused on his recovery."

Glitch in Rescue Operations
Even as the appropriate agencies have kicked off investigations into the crash, THISDAY gathered  that the casualty rate might not be unconnected with the fact that the ill-fated helicopter allegedly did not have the locator beacons as stipulated for both maritime and air transport services.

This was because without the locator beacon, the rescue team were operating blindly without knowing the exact spot the helicopter crashed, thus purportedly reducing their chances to have lived.

The lack of beacon was confirmed by Farinloye, who told THISDAY that when they called the Nigerian Mission Control Centre (NIMCC) to confirm the distress signal, they could not.

He said neither NEMA or the centre received any distress alert from the helicopter before it nosedived into the lagoon, but they got one from a distressed ship at Delta State and help was sent there.

Farinloye said all maritime, land and air transport services are by law required to install the beacon also known as the COSPAS-SARSAT in their planes, ships and cars.

The COSPAS-SARSAT, a hi-tech satellite based equipment made by Russia, USA and Canada, is for search and rescue purposes and responding to  distressed vessels or aircrafts.

He said,  "The equipment sends out signals or distress calls to those holding the beacon which would indicate the place of the incident, the phone number and address of the owner of the aircraft, vehicle or vessel and then the crash site would be searched for within 25 square meters.

"This is designed in such a way that immediately there is a distress situation, the equipment sends out signals which are intercepted at NEMA headquarters. The headquarters would then alert the necessary local emergency stakeholders immediately.

"The system has dual purposes, for aviation, Maritime and land user services and so water craft operators can install the beacons and in case of distressed situation, the beacon can be activated, which will send signal to the orbit within few seconds.

"Once the beacon goes off, countries who have such installed will get the alert immediately within 25 square metres and coordinate for prompt search and rescue."

An email sent to one Julie King, the External Communications of Bristow Group, to confirm or debunk the allegation received no response up until now, days after the crash.

AIB Recovers Black Box

In a bid to ascertain what actually caused the crash, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) finally were able to recover the flight recorder, also known as the black box of the ill-fated helicopter. The recovered flight recorder is expected to aid investigation to determine the last role played by the pilot, and the MayDay call for help between the cockpit and the tower.

A statement signed by Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, Head of Communications of AIB said the Sikosky 76 helicopter marked 5N-BGD was believed to have departed SEDCO oil platform offshore and crashed shortly before its scheduled landing at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos

The Bureau said because the black box was not recovered on Thursday when the biggest part of the wreckage was brought out, the search resumed in Friday and was successful. 

The statement reads in part, "The search party led by Julius Berger with the assistance of hired divers located the recorders, which are expected to assist the investigators in unraveling the cause of the accident in which four passengers and two crew members died. Six other passengers are receiving treatment at a private hospital.

“The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) contains data generated from different parts of the aircraft including the engines and the avionics while the Cockpit Voice Recorder will unveil conversations within the cockpit and between the pilots and the Control Tower.

“The Accident Investigation Bureau announced today that the flight recorders, popularly known as black boxes, to the Sikosky 76 helicopter that crashed into the lagoon in Oworonshoki area of Lagos on Wednesday 12 August, 2015 have been recovered.

"We also retrieved documents and other materials from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the airline operator. Other information will be released to the public as they unfold and according to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annexe 13."

How Family of Late American Pilot Battled with Lack of Information

Hours after the ill-fated Bristow Helicopter crashed in the Lagos lagoon, the family of the American Pilot,  Jospeh Wyatt, had complained of being left in the dark without adequate information.

Tweeting from @KimchiSayWhat, one Samantha Wyatt who identified herself as a family member of the deceased pilot began a Twitter marathon to know the whereabouts of her brother.

After stumbling on the news and not knowing details into the crash and whether her brother survived, she had stormed Twitter to find answers.

At first they were told that he had survived and was among those rushed to either Gbagada General Hospital or Afolabi Hospital, but their fears worsened when attempts to ascertain the truth was thwarted at every turn.

She tweeted at the American Embassy, foreign media houses and then the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as well as other agencies but nothing was forthcoming.

With her tweets, Nigerians quickly rallied round and began to send her information bit by bit and some even provided phone numbers of the agencies at the crash site.

She had begun her series of tweets with "Missing after Lagos helicopter crash, Captain Joseph Wyatt. Little information given to family. Please help."

"Phone lines are disconnected, people do not know, or they are unable to tell us anything. We were told he is not at the hospital. He is missing.

"We don't know if he's alive, and if he is, then where he is or what his status is. We know nothing. Multiple news articles cite Gbagada or Afolabi Hospital. We are completely in the dark."

Much later, she was able to tweet that Bristow Helicopters had finally contacted the family, but admitted the company didn't have information for them.

She wrote, "Yes, we are in contact with Bristow, and they do not have any information for us."

When the news that he was amongst the deceased persons was broken yesterday, she was gracious enough to thank all those who helped her gather the much needed information.

Tweeting at all of them she wrote, "We are heartbroken. I have never known such grief. Thank you to all who helped."

She has since stayed off Twitter either to cope with their loss or to make all necessary arrangements for the deceased pilot.

Bristow's Reaction

The following day, Bristow Helicopters Limited officially confirmed that their aircraft that was involved in an accident in Lagos, Nigeria, on August 12, 2015, carried 10 passengers and a crew of two.

The statement by Duncan Moore, Bristow’s Regional Director Africa, read thus, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends and loved ones of all those on board.

"Bristow has mobilized the full resources of its response team and is working closely with authorities on the investigation, including at the accident site to recover the aircraft. Medical treatment is being provided to those who are injured and trained coordinators have been assigned to the families of the crew members and passengers to support them with their every need and ensure that they receive the most current information and assistance.

"Bristow has established a dedicated hotline for family members of those on board the flight. Relatives may telephone +1 (855) 979-7533 or +1 (567) 302-7004 for information, care and assistance.

"Bristow Nigeria would like to express its appreciation for the help and support it has received from the NCAA, the NAIB, NEMA and other industry stakeholders. The company would also like to thank the Lagos State Government and the traditional ruler and people of the community where the accident took place.

"A core value for Bristow is safety, and we are committed to safety in every aspect of our business. Bristow continues to collect pertinent information and will release more details at bristowgroup.com as soon as it is available."

While investigations are ongoing to ascertain the cause of the crash, the families of the victims are still trying to come to terms with their irreplaceable loss.