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| Date: | Monday 26 July 2004 |
| Time: | c. 02:30 |
| Type: |  Bell 412EP |
| Owner/operator: | Pan African Airlines |
| Registration: | 5N-BDZ |
| MSN: | 36278 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Engine model: | P&W Canada PT6T |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near SEDCO Energy Rig Platform -
 Nigeria
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Offshore |
| Departure airport: | SEDCO Energy offshore installation |
| Port Harcourt via Funiwa | |
| Investigating agency: | AIB Nigeria |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On 25th July, 2004 at about 00:00 hrs, a Bell 412EP helicopter operated by Pan African Airlines Nigeria Limited, departed Port Harcourt on a medical evacuation flight to SEDCO Energy Rig platform with a reported visibility of 100m in fog. The helicopter landed at SEDCO Rig platform at 01:15 hrs and commenced refuelling but was unable to lift the required amount of fuel due to a defective fuel dispenser on the Rig. The helicopter departed SEDCO Rig Platform with two crew members, one patient and one medical attendant, with a plan to make a technical stop in Funiwa to refuel before proceeding to Port Harcourt.
Less than five minutes after the helicopter lifted off from SEDCO Energy Platform, the radio operator received a brief and unclear message from the helicopter. The radio operator tried to establish contact with the helicopter but there was no response.
Relevant agencies were immediately notified, and a search and rescue mission launched by Chevron Nigeria Limited, Pan Ocean Limited, and Pan African Airlines.
The estimated time of the accident was 02:30 hrs.
Causal Factor:
The Accident Investigation Bureau could not conclusively determine the cause of this accident.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
http://www.bellhelicopter.com/MungoBlob/802/70/potential.pdf
https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/335267-bell-412-crash-near-escravos-july-2004-a.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Feb-2013 06:26 | TB | Added |
| 20-Sep-2014 15:28 | Aerossurance | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 22-Oct-2018 19:21 | harro | Updated [Time, Location, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
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