The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has announced that it will share its findings regarding the recent helicopter crash into the Atlantic Ocean, near Bonny Finima in Rivers State, with the International Maritime Organisation.
The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, confirmed this in a statement issued by the agency’s Head of Public Relations, Edward Osagie, on Sunday.
Mobereola also reported that the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder, commonly known as the “Black Box,” were successfully recovered over the weekend through an inter-agency collaboration.
He said the the recovery of the “Black Box” was made possible through a collaborative effort involving NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NNPC, and HydroDive along with other local and international search and rescue partners.
He stated that NIMASA would share the details of the incident with the International Maritime Organisation.
“In line with international maritime safety standards, NIMASA will report the findings about the helicopter crash into the Atlantic Ocean to the International Maritime Organisation via the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS).
“By sharing the findings of the off-shore Port Harcourt helicopter crash with the IMO, NIMASA demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and cooperation within the global maritime community.
“The Global Integrated Shipping Information System is an online platform developed by the IMO to support the timely and accurate reporting of incidents, accidents, and other essential maritime data.
“This platform enables member-states to share information crucial to improving safety protocols, updating best practices, and fostering international cooperation,” Mobereola said.
He emphasized that NIMASA is committed to working closely with all relevant agencies to investigate the cause of the incident and take the necessary steps to prevent such occurrences in the future.
He noted that the collaboration between NIMASA and other local and international search and rescue partners led to the recovery of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, registered 5N BQG.
Mobereola added that with the retrieval of the “Black Box,” more than 80 percent of the helicopter wreckage had been recovered.
Other recovered items include the rotor, three blades, engine, gearbox, windows, cockpit overhead panels, the Electronic Locator Transmitter (ELT), and the tail.
