Lagos helicopter crash: I saw lightening, smoke, then total darkness – 90 year-old

…Propeller

…Three crew members killed

…It struggled in the air before crashing into the building—Resident

…How it crashed—Eyewitnesses

TRACKING____A 90-year-old woman, Mrs Olapeju Johnson could not believe how she miraculously escaped death yesterday when an helicopter crashed into her compound at no 16 A Salvation Road, Opebi, Ikeja area of Lagos.

A light helicopter belonging to Quorum Aviation with registration Number 5N-BQW was flying from Port-Harcourt to Lagos when it crashed at about 12.47 p m killing two crew members on the spot while the third crew member who was critically injured and was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) died few hours later.

A visibly shocked occupant of the building where the helicopter crashed into, 90 year-old Mrs Olapeju Johnson (nee Awolesi), who escaped death by whiskers said the helicopter crashed landed between her house and that of her daughter in-law.

However, she thanked God that her family members were safe. She said, ,”the helicopter crashed landed where it was least expected and I was reading my Bible when it occurred. An helicopter that is supposed to land in a field landed in my compound and my daughter’s compound. Though I cannot state categorically how it happened but I heard a loud sound like that of thunder, then I saw lightening and thick smoke in the air. I didn’t know what was happening, the whole place then went dark. The next think I was expecting was a fire outbreak but Almighty God miraculously averted this and I was rescued alive,” she said.

The great grandmother appreciated God that her daughter in-law was not within the vicinity when the unexpected occurred. According to her, “the tail of the helicopter landed in my compound while the head landed in my daughter in-law’s compound but thank God that she was not within the vicinity when the incident occurred,” What do I have. All we can say is to give thanks to God for sparing our lives. With God’s protection I have been able to control myself”, she told Vanguard.

The crash also affected a Honda Salon car with number plate EPE 04 AL that was parked in the compound as its rear screen was completely damaged.

The incident attracted a mammoth crowd but law enforcement agents were able to control the crowd as the scene was cordoned off. At the scene of the crash, people were wailing and shouting for help. A female sympathiser was seen shouting on top of her voice saying, “you are a policeman, please help, this one is still breathing”.

Another sympathiser a male, was also seen crying for help while emergency responders were busy with the operation.

How it crashed——Residents

An eyewitness at the scene of the crash who spoke with Saturday Vanguard, said the helicopter hovered for a while. He said he also observed that the sound of the engines of the chopper also changed before crashing into the buildings.

Some residents of Salvation Road in Opebi area of Ikeja, Lagos expressed shock over the crash thanking God for saving their lives. The residents, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the scene of the incident on Friday called for proper maintenance of aircraft before flying.

Mrs Grace Awolaja, a resident said that it was shocking and surprising to experience such an unexpected incident. According to Awolaja, the helicopter was seen hovering in the sky for some minutes before crashing into the building. “We thank God that nobody was affected in the building but I learnt that the pilot and two other persons on board died,” Awolaja said.

Another resident, Alhaji Saliu Bamidele, suggested that engine seizure might be responsible for the crash. Bamidele said that the helicopter crashed at the back of house No. 16, Salvation Road, damaging two cars and the fence of the building.

Mr Mark Okeke, a fabric shop owner in front of the building, told NAN that the helicopter was cited in the air struggling to crash-land in the canal but “suddenly picked up and faced the building. We just heard loud sound with heavy dust from the house. Many occupants of the building were not at home.

An eye witness Mr. Emede Gab, said he was transacting a business in the area when he noticed the dark atmospheric change but he managed to scamper for safety.

Another eye witness Victor Owoyemi, said he was not aware of the crash until he heard the fire fighters’ alarm and rushed to the scene only to see a mammoth crowd as emergency services had taken off. “My office is a short distance from the scene and I quickly rushed there. Thank God there was no fire outbreak,” he said.

Three persons on board were crew members——Quorum Aviation

Quorum Aviation, operators of the Bell helicopter that crashed confirmed that the three people aboard the helicopter were crew members, not passengers even as Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau , AIB, said it has commenced investigation into the accident.

A statement from Quorum Aviation yesterday said : “A light helicopter belonging to Quorum Aviation with registration Number 5N-BQW flying from Port-Harcourt to Lagos crashed between two buildings in Ikeja en-route to Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos”.

“As soon as we received news of the accident, we promptly informed the aviation authorities, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Preliminary reports indicate that of the three souls on board – all crew, two of the crew members lost their lives whilst the third one is currently receiving treatment at a hospital”.

“We have been made to understand that nobody in the building, nor in the vicinity was injured for which we are grateful. In accordance with aviation regulations, the AIB has taken over the investigation process. We hereby ask members of the public to await the outcome of the investigation. We hereby express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the crew who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident”, the company said.

Tinubu, Sanya-Olu condole victims’ families

Meanwhile, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu have commiserated with families, relations, and friends of those who lost their lives and their property in the crash. Sanwo-olu, in a condolence message signed on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, promised that his government would work with all the relevant Federal Government agencies to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the accident so as to prevent a re-occurrence in the future.

Also, Tinubu, in a statement released through his Media Officer, Mr. Tunde Rahman, prayed that Almighty Allah console the families of the victims.