Bristow helicopter crashes into lagos lagoon,four dies......SEE PHOTO

Firstclass newsline gathered that a terrible incident occured around
in the Alonge area of Owonroshoki, Lagos, as a Bristow helicopter
carrying 10 passengers with two crew members on board, plunged into
the lagoon.
It was gathered that four people were killed, while no fewer than six
others sustained varying degrees of injury.
The aircraft crashed about five minutes to its scheduled landing time
at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The helicopter, with registration number, 5N-BDG-760540, was coming
from one of the oil rigs in the country.
Firstclass newsline also gathered that many of the victims were
working for an oil service firm, which was doing a job for a
multinational oil company. The oil workers were coming back to Lagos
when the incident occurred. The identities of the victims had yet to
be known.
Firstclass newsline learnt that some fishermen, who were operating on
the water at the time the incident happened, initiated the rescue
mission.
Agencies, including the Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the Lagos
State Fire Service, the police, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency,
and the National Emergency Management Agency, were seen making efforts
to recover the remaining two persons in the water.
The two missing persons had yet to be recovered as of 8.30pm when
firstclass newsline crew left the vicinity

Joshua Oladipupo,a resident of onabanjo street said he witnessed the
moment the helicopter lost control and plunged into the water.
He said, "This afternoon around 3pm, I saw the chopper struggling to
find a safe place to land. Suddenly, it nose-dived and I didn't see it
again. I rushed down to the scene. I saw two survivors swimming out of
the lagoon."
The Chairman of the boat operators group in the area, Alhaji Rasaq
Isiaq, said he directed his men to rescue the victims immediately
after the crash.
He said, "Initially, the aircraft wanted to land on a two-storey
building, but moved forward and crashed inside the lagoon. I called my
boys instantly and notified the DPO of the station. We rescued six
people alive while four were dead."
Another eyewitness, Mrs. Funmilola Adebiyi said the security agents
arrived in the area about 30 minutes after the incident.
The spokesperson for NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said, "The Accident
Investigation Bureau will make proper briefing about the incident and
other issues after investigation. We have asked the navy to help in
the rescue operation."
LASEMA General Manager, Mr. Michael Akindele, said the identities of
the victims would be confirmed as soon as the manifest was received.
He said, "We are still awaiting the manifest but we were told that 12
people were on board. The four corpses had been taken to the Mainland
Hospital Mortuary. As I speak to you, rescue operations are still on."
The General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, in a statement confirmed that 12 persons
were on board the ill-fated aircraft.
Scene of the Crash
He stated that workers were on ground to rescue the victims.
The NCAA statement read in part, "A Bristow helicopter with
registration number, 5N – BDG – 760540, en route from one of the
nation's oil rigs has crashed at Oworonshoki in Lagos this evening.
"The helicopter scheduled to arrive Lagos at 15.35pm had 12 people on
board including the crew. However, the number of casualties has yet to
be determined.
"At present officials of the Accident Investigation Bureau, National
Emergency Management Agency and the Nigeria Police are at the site
providing rescue operation for the victims."
Bristow Helicopters Chief Pilot, Captain Obinna Ojiako, told a source
on the telephone that the company was still gathering information on
the accident. He vowed that a statement would be issued, which had yet
to be done as of press time.
Officials from aviation agencies, including the Accident probe Bureau
and the NCAA, told one of our correspondents that there were no
indications that the pilot made a distress call before plunging into
the lagoon.
Sources said Bristow officials had called aviation agencies to inform
them that the aircraft they were expecting to land had yet to do so.
The development, it was gathered, made the aviation agencies to trace
the whereabouts of the helicopter.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Accident Investigation Bureau, Mr.
Tunji Oketumbi, said a team of investigators led by its Commissioner,
Dr. Felix Abali, had been dispatched to the site.
Oketunmbi said in a statement, "Investigation has commenced with AIB
Commissioner, Dr. Felix Abali, leading the team."
It is unclear what happened before the chopper crashed into the
lagoon, but pilots said engine issues were usually the most common
among the problems that could make a chopper to plunge into a lagoon.