NCAA Orders Immediate Safety Inspections On Sikorsky S76C Helicopters

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, on Sunday, February 21, ordered all airlines operating the Sikorsky S76C series to carry out safety inspections on the helicopter type with immediate effect.

The directive came two weeks after the aviation regulatory agency suspended operation of the Sikorsky S76C++ in the country, following two crashes within an interval of only six months and involving same type of helicopter operated by Bristow Helicopter Services in Nigeria.The NCAA yesterday said as an interim safety measure, the under-listed safety inspections affects all Sikorsky S76C series helicopters operating in Nigeria.

They include Visual Inspection in accordance with relevant S76C AMM 20-32-00; detailed inspection in accordance with relevant S76C AMM 66-00-00 and detailed inspection in accordance with relevant S76C AMM 66-10-00, 66-20-00, 66-30-00, 66-40-00.

The directive was contained in a letter earlier dispatched to all operators of the affected helicopters types. The identities of other operators were however not disclosed by the NCAA.

The agency gave 72 hours (three days) within which the safety directive must be observed by helicopter services companies that are using the Sikorsky S76c type of aircraft and indicated that the safety audit must be repeated by the helicopter companies after every 300 flight hours until further notice.