Bristow pays initial $30,000 to victims of lagoon crash

BRISTOW Helicopters Nigeria Limited says it has paid an initial $30,000 as compensation to each of the victims of its August 2015 crash into the Lagos lagoon, in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation directive on compensation for crash victims.

ICAO recommends the payment of 30 per cent in the first few months to the relations of each victim out of the total of $100,000 compensation. The Bristow’s Senior Legal Director, African Region, Tolu Olubajo, stated this in Lagos at a press briefing to mark the return of its Sikorsky S-76S aircraft to revenue service.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had earlier lifted its suspension on Bristow Helicopter’s Sirkorsky S-76 aircraft. The return of the Sikorsky S-76 aircraft to flight operations followed the completion of the NCAA’s comprehensive operational audit.

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Sikorsky S-76C+, which was returning from a drilling rig offshore belonging to SEDCO in Ondo State en route the Lagos airport, crashed at Oworonsoki near the Third Main Land Bridge.

The victims were Chukwuma Erise, Chidi Ukwunta, Ita Ekpeyong, Chis Abua, the captain, Joseph Wyatt and co-pilot, Peter Kayode Bello.

Speaking on the recent ditching of another Sikorsky S 76 aircraft on February 3 this year, Olubajo disclosed that the firm had engaged the services of Aviateq International Limited, a United Kingdom-based company, to help it carry out a comprehensive audit.

The carrier has proposed that the review be extended to other similar air operators across the Nigerian oil and gas industry so that the best practices can be shared by all operators to enhance safety across the industry.

He, however, said the idea was not an indictment on the aviation regulatory body but to complement its functions.

“We do exactly the same checks on all our aircraft, not only on the Sikorsky. As we do this, we await the final report from the Accident Investigation Bureau,” Olubayo said.