Lagos Helicopter Crash: Bristow Helicopters Suspends Operations

Bristow Helicopters on Thursday said it has suspended flight operations in Nigeria because of the crash involving one of its helicopters in Lagos on Wednesday.

Making this disclosure, the Consultant for Bristow Helicopters, Mr Cornelius Onuoha said the decision concerning operations will be made on daily basis.

According to him “We have stood down operations at Bristow Helicopters Nigeria as

of 13^th August, 2015. Decisions will be made on a daily basis.” On whether the aircraft was too old to fly, he said “No. Bristow is in full compliance with regulatory directives issued for our aircraft. Special maintenance and monitoring programs developed by the aircraft and engine manufacturers, the helicopter operators and the FAA/CAA in recent years have ensured all our aircraft are maintained to optimum standards.

When asked if the accident was due to pilot error, Onuaha said, “it is too early to talk about the cause of this incident. It will take weeks or months of investigation to determine why the incident happened. The investigation will be conducted by the AIB, and we will cooperate fully in that investigation. We will not speculate about what may have been the cause, and we encourage others not to speculate. Our pilots are trained to the highest standards in the industry.”