The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has confirmed an incident involving a helicopter en route to its Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit, NUIMS Antan.
According to a press release issued by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, the helicopter, with registration number 5NBQG, lost contact at approximately 11:22 a.m. on October 24, 2024. The helicopter, operated by East Winds Aviation, had taken off from Port Harcourt NAF Base and was headed towards the FPSO NUIMS Antan.
Onboard were eight individuals, including six passengers and two crew members. Following the loss of contact, relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Aviation, were notified and have since released a statement. Search and rescue operations were immediately initiated, and as of now, three bodies have been recovered.
NNPC assured that it is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as developments occur. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers, crew, and their families during this difficult time. We are fully committed to supporting the ongoing search and rescue efforts,” the statement concluded.
Search missions are continuing as authorities work to recover all individuals on board and determine the cause of the incident.