Heli Crash in Warri?

[bogey@6]

Anyone got some details on heli crash in Warri yesterday? thanks for any info.

[archos]

Published in the local newspaper "VANGUARD" on the 11th of November:

"At least one person was killed and three others injured in a helicopter crash yesterday at Ovwian Aladja, near Warri, Delta State. The helicopter, an AS335 twin squirrel with registration number 5N-BHU, belonging to Odengene Aviation Services (OAS) Company Limited, Maryland, Lagos, was on its way to Port Harcourt from Lagos when it crashed at about 9:00am.
Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, said among the survivors of the crash was an expatriate pilot of the helicopter. Reacting to the crash, management of OAS helicopters said the flight from Lagos was not a commercial flight, but a company flight. The company’s Executive Director, Mr. Moses Wilfur, said two Nigerians and two Filippinos were on board the helicopter at the time of the crash. According to him, the helicopter is relatively young, as it came into operation in 1999, having been manufactured on October 28, 1998. Mr. Wilfur insisted that the helicopter was airworthy at the time of the crash, due to constant maintenance.

[ppheli]

Make that an AS350B2 rather than an AS355, and serial 3146

Photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/16951815@N00/sets/72157594370222656/

[ppheli]

Denying earlier press reports, the operator now claims no-one died in the crash - see this article (http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=11/13/2006&qrTitle=%E2%80%98No%20casualties%20in%20helicopter%20crash%E 2%80%99&qrColumn=BACK%20PAGE)

[IAV82]

I fear the answer to this crash lies in what is above the crash site in those photos, powerlines, and lots of them!!
av8

[Heliharm]

If you look on the picture with the white car in the front you can see that the second powerline post has collapsed partially.

[archos]

Another OAS Pilot Dies

One of the pilots of Odengene Air Shuttle (OAS), who survived last week’s crash near Warri, Delta State, Captain Javier Marmol, is dead.

Marmol, 56, died at about 3.00am on Thursday at the Lagoon Hospital, Lagos.

Executive Director of the company, Captain Moses Weefur, who confirmed the death of the Phillipino, said he gave up when arrangements were on to transfer him by Air Ambulance to Israel for further medical attention.

His death brought to two, fatalities resulting from the accident. The late pilot joined OAS early this year.