Honestly, some of you guys just crack me up with your dumb comments which are either way off the mark or just cheap point scoring against either your company or the people in the country you voluntary decided to work in. If you don't like it why not just leave? Oh yes, I guess because that company in that country pays the salary and gives you the roster so you can live in your own (presumably much nicer) country with much nicer people and enjoy a pretty good standard of living.
bh412tt,
Centre of Excellence just refers to the Lagos State nickname on car number plates. It was used a lot more on the 'What's New in Nigeria' forum (as it was originally called) as a rather derisory term for a well-known Nigerian helicopter company. If you work in Port Harcourt, you'll be in the 'Treasure Base of the Nation', if in Delta, you'll be in 'The Finger of God' (though it used to be The Big Heart), if you're in Eket, you're in 'The Land of Promise'.
Yes Nigerian newspapers are pretty awful and sensational and whilst quite a few of their stories are about witches and goats being arrested for crimes, many of them do have a grain of truth. To be honest, I think most of them are no worse than the tabloids in many countries and some of the stories are so ridiculous as to be amusing. But then again, instead of highlighting anything as ridiculous as getting one letter wrong in the type of aircraft, like helipoloto, I just find it amusing. That, and getting the numbers wrong is almost always the case these days and no worse than the BBC or the New York Times (or El Pais or El Mundo in his own country). The Fourth Estate always glamourises the 'heroic' pilots who manage to land a 'stricken' aircraft, or sadly those who died at the hands of criminals as in the recent tragic case in Tanzania.
From what I have heard (again only hearsay), a call was made that there was a technical problem which may necessitate a ditching if it couldn't be cleared and this was relayed to Lagos approach by a Caverton helicopter crew. The problem got worse and a decision was made in difficult circumstances to ditch the aircraft (I'm sure whoever in Human Remains decided to call it a 'water landing' will remember that gaffe for years to come
). Many things could result in a decision to ditch from a loss of MGB oil pressure to a fire warning in the baggage compartment. I note that unlike many of those who would like to slag off the company they work for or the crew, Captain Jayeola is maintaining a dignified silence (whether from choice or company pressure).
At the end of the day, everybody who boarded the aircraft is still alive, a few have slight injuries and the insurance will pay for a new airframe and it really saddens me to read the openly sexist and crypto-racist comments on this thread. One of the most naturally gifted pilots I ever flew with was a lady and one of the best training captains I ever learned from was an African.