At least three people died when a helicopter en route to an offshore oil production facility crashed off Nigeria’s coast on Thursday, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The helicopter, operated by East Winds Aviation, lost contact while flying from Port Harcourt to the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Antan facility, NNPC reported. It was carrying eight individuals: six passengers and two crew members.
Search and rescue operations were launched immediately, with Nigeria’s aviation authorities investigating the crash’s cause, stated NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye. The aviation ministry noted that the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter “ditched into waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.”
Despite the lack of an emergency locator signal, manual efforts were underway to identify the crash site. All available resources, including military personnel and low-flying aircraft, were deployed to assist in locating survivors, according to ministry spokesperson Odutayo Oluseyi.
Nigeria, while historically challenged by air safety issues, has recently improved its aviation safety standards.