The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has recovered the black box of a helicopter belonging to Quorum Aviation that crashed into a residential building in Lagos State on Friday.
The bureau said there the chopper, with registration number 5NBQW, had one passenger and two crewmembers on board.
The Director General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who confirmed the crash, said the helicopter came in from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Osanyintolu said two persons died from the crash with one other critically wounded but people on the ground were not affected.
He said, “At about 12:00pm, we received a distress call in our command and control centre that there was a helicopter mishap and immediately we activated the Lagos State emergency response team.
“We were able to rescue one person alive and he has been transferred to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital where he is receiving adequate treatment, but it is pertinent to note that we recovered two bodies and they have been deposited at the mortuary. Based on the investigation carried out, it was due to the impact that led to their mortalities.”
Buhari mourns
President Muhammadu has commiserated with the families of victims of the helicopter crash in the Opebi area of Lagos State.
In a two-paragraph statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President prayed to God to console the bereaved and heal the injured.
The statement reads, “President Muhammadu Buhari commiserates with families, friends and associates of victims of the Bell 206 helicopter operated by Quorum Aviation which crashed Friday into a building in Opebi, Lagos State.
“While the nation awaits report of investigation into the accident by aviation regulatory agencies, the President prays that God will console the bereaved families, grant peace to the souls of the dead and speedy recovery for the injured.”