The third crew member in the helicopter, Bell 206 with registration number 5N-BQW belonging to Quorum Aviation, that crashed into a building at Opebi, Lagos State, has died.
This was disclosed by the spokesperson for the Accident Investigation Bureau, Mr Tunji Oketunmbi, on Friday. He said, “I confirm to you that the third person has died.”
With this, all three crew members in the helicopter are dead.
Also, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, assured Nigerians that investigations were on-going and that findings will be made public shortly.
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With heavy heart I wish to condole the families, friends and the Aviation community on the death of the occupants of the Quorum Helicopters that crashed this afternoon in Lagos. Investigation has commenced and will be fast tracked. The outcome will be made public. 🇳🇬🇳🇬🤲🏽🤲🏽🤲🏽🇳🇬🇳🇬
— Hadi Abubakar Sirika (@hadisirika) August 28, 2020
Back story: Nairametrics reported earlier on Friday, when panic enveloped Opebi area of Ikeja, Lagos owing to the helicopter Bell 206 crashing into a building in the area.
The incident, which occurred at about 12.30pm, at 16A Salvation Road, Opebi, Lagos, claimed the lives of two of the three crew members on board instantly.
Quorum Aviation identified the three victims in the accident. It noted that those aboard the crashed helicopter were its crew members. This was contained in a statement issued by the company after the crash on Friday.
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The statement read, “As soon as we received news of the accident, we promptly informed the aviation authorities, Accident Investigation Bureau and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Preliminary reports indicate that of the three souls on board – all crew, two of the crew members lost their lives whilst the third one is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
“We have been made to understand that nobody in the building, nor in the vicinity was injured for which we are grateful. In accordance with aviation regulations, the AIB has taken over the investigation process. We hereby ask members of the public to await the outcome of the investigation.
“We hereby express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the crew who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident.”
Destination of the helicopter
According to a press statement from the Accident Investigation Bureau, the chopper was bound for Lagos from Port-Harcourt.
AIB, in its press statement, also promised to commence an investigation into the accident, which had three passengers aboard.
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About Quorum Aviation
Quorum Aviation Limited (QAL) is an Aviation and Logistics air transportation company. The company operates both Rotary (Helicopters) and Fixed Wing aircraft.