NIMASA Recovers Black Box from Helicopter Crash in Atlantic Ocean
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has successfully recovered the black box from a helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima. The crucial flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were retrieved over the weekend through a coordinated effort involving several agencies, including the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), HydroDive, and other local and international search teams.
In a statement released on Sunday, NIMASA’s Director-General, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, expressed appreciation for the swift and effective inter-agency collaboration that made the recovery possible. He emphasized that NIMASA would share the findings from the crash investigation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ensure global transparency and adherence to international maritime safety standards.
Mobereola highlighted that NIMASA’s cooperation with the IMO demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to safety, transparency, and international cooperation. He confirmed that the agency would upload the findings to the IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), a platform designed to facilitate the reporting of maritime incidents and improve global safety practices.
“The GISIS platform plays a key role in reporting incidents like this, allowing member states to share critical data that supports safety improvements and enhances global collaboration,” Mobereola explained.
He also reaffirmed NIMASA’s commitment to working with all relevant agencies to investigate the cause of the crash and prevent future incidents. The DG expressed deep sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to NNPC and other stakeholders affected by the tragedy.
The helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 (registration 5N-BQG), crashed on October 24, 2024, approximately 1.4 kilometers from the starboard side of the Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) unit owned by NNPC. NIMASA’s Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received distress signals, and immediately shared the information with the Nigerian Navy, which deployed specialized search and rescue resources to recover the wreckage under difficult conditions.
As of the latest reports, over 80% of the helicopter wreckage has been recovered, including key components such as the rotor, engine, gearbox, cockpit panels, and tail. All recovered items have been placed on a dump barge for further processing.
NIMASA has vowed to continue its partnership with the Nigerian Navy, NSIB, NNPC, HydroDive, and other stakeholders to improve emergency response capabilities and ensure the safety of Nigeria’s maritime domain.
