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A recent investigation has uncovered that a Sikorsky SK76c helicopter, which tragically crashed near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was presumed scrapped in 2018.
The helicopter, with registration number 5N-BQG and serial number 760486, was manufactured in 1997 and had a long and varied service history across multiple operators before its ill-fated flight in Nigeria.
Operated by EastWind Aviation, the aircraft was transporting contract staff to the FPSO—NUIMS ANTAN facility when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Bonny Finima on Thursday.
Originally delivered to Helikopter Service in 1997 as SE-JFB, the helicopter changed hands several times over the years. It was registered under different identifiers in locations including Hong Kong, Nigeria, and Canada, with notable operators such as Aero Contractors, CHC Global Ops, and Premiair.
According to SaharaReporters, in September 2018, its registration was canceled, and the aircraft was deemed “presumably scrapped,” as documented by Flickr.
Scrapping typically implies a permanent retirement, where an aircraft is considered unusable and is often sold for salvage or dismantling due to high maintenance costs, lack of parts, or damage.
However, how this scrapped helicopter was brought back into operation, re-registered as 5N-BQG in Nigeria, and used until its recent accident remains unverified.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is now undertaking recovery efforts, deploying a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) capable of deep-sea operations to locate the black box and other crucial components from the wreckage.
According to NSIB spokesperson Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the bureau continues to search for critical flight data recorders to ascertain the crash’s cause.
According to Wikipedia, six Sikorsky S-76 choppers crashed between 2002 and 2020.
On 17 July 2002, S-76A G-BJVX, operated by Bristow Helicopters, crashed into the North Sea due to the failure of a main rotor blade.
On 10 August 2005, a Sikorsky S-76C+ flying Copterline Flight 103 crashed into Tallinn Bay in the Gulf of Finland. The cause was a failure of the hydraulic flight control system.
On 31 May 2013, an S-76A air ambulance, operated by Ornge, crashed near Moosonee Airport, Canada. The cause was inadequate training of pilots for night-time operations.
On 10 March 2017, S-76C++ TC-HEZ, operated by Swan Aviation, crashed during a private charter flight in Istanbul, Turkey. The cause is unknown, but poor visibility conditions were present at the time.
On 26 January 2020, S-76B N72EX crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine occupants, including the retired professional basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
The cause was determined to be the pilot Ara Zobayan experiencing spatial disorientation due to heavy fog, as well as pilot error.
On 16 September 2020, an S-76A air ambulance of the Philippine Air Force crashed in Basilan Province in Southern Philippines during bad weather conditions, killing all four military crew members onboard.
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