By Uche Mbah
The Accident Investigations Bureau, AIB, Tuesday, released the final report on possible reasons why the helicopter conveying Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, crash-landed on its approach to Kaaba, Kogi state, in February 2019.
The helicopter, an Agusta Westland (AW139) helicopter owned, and operated by Caverton Helicopters Limited, has registration marks 5N-CML.
It had carried nine passengers and three crew members. The passengers were the Vice President and his entourage.
The Commissioner of AIB, Akin Olateru, said that the crew lost visual contact with the ground and external surroundings.
“On board were 12 persons including the Vice President of the the Federal Republic of Nigeria, his entourage, and three crew members (Pilot, Co-pilot and an Engineer)”, he said.
“The flight crew stated that they sighted the intended landing area as a result of the cloud of residual dust generated by the downwash of a Police helicopter.
“After sighting the football field, the flight crew approached with the speed of 20ft to about a 100ft, and entered a hover to land.
“At about 50ft above ground level, a brownout set in. The flight crew lost visual contact with the ground and external surroundings.
“The co-pilot began radio altitude callouts “35, 30, 25, 20 and 15”. At about 14:34h, the helicopter experienced a hard landing on the right main landing gear and rolled over onto its right side. All persons on board were evacuated uninjured.
“The flight crew encountered a brownout condition during the hover to land, which led to the loss of external visual references, spatial disorientation, and loss of situational awareness resulting in a misjudgment of distance and ground clearance. Like the flight, the crew tried to control the helicopter’s movements for landing. The helicopter landed hard and rolled over on its right side.”
According to him, there were “Inappropriate landing technique used, non-adherence to company procedures for known or anticipated brownout condition during landing and lack of risk assessment, limited landing site preparation, and planning prior to commencement of the flight.”
Give President Osinbajo was on his way to Kabba for an assignment when the helicopter crashed. Miraculously, everybody on the ill- fated flight survived.
