NSIB Recovers Black Box from NNPC Helicopter that Crashed in Rivers State

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has recovered the black box from the helicopter that crashed in Rivers State on October 24. The aircraft carried six passengers and two crew members. It was a Sikorsky SK76 operated by East Wind Aviation and chartered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.

The helicopter departed from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base in Port Harcourt. It was headed to the FPSO-NUIMS ANTAN oil rig when it crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima around 11:22 a.m. Search and recovery teams have since found five bodies at the crash site while efforts continue to locate three missing individuals.

NSIB’s public affairs director, Bimbo Oladeji, confirmed that the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR)—commonly known as the black box—were recovered early Friday morning, November 8. These devices will help investigators analyse flight performance and cockpit communications. This analysis will, in turn,  help understand the events that caused the crash.

Oladeji said NSIB worked closely with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and other partners. Both local and international teams were involved in the search and recovery operations.

The black box will be taken to our data analysis lab. Specialists will conduct data extraction and analysis to understand the operational and technical conditions before the accident, she said.

NSIB Director-General Alex Badeh stated that retrieving the black box is a critical step because it will guide safety recommendations. He commended the recovery teams for their efforts and confirmed that long-term search operations will continue with partners to locate the missing passengers and offer closure to affected families.

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