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Pilot dies in helicopter crash
03/08/2007 15:19 - (SA)
Port Harcourt - A civilian transport helicopter used in Nigeria's oil industry crashed on Friday, killing a pilot, said company officials on Friday.
An official of the company, Bristow, which owned the helicopter that was often used to ferry oil workers around the restive region, said no passengers were on board when the craft went down about an hour after dawn in southern Nigeria.
The pilot's nationality would not be released pending notification of next of kin, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to company prohibitions on dealings with the media.
Oil industry workers contacted in the region said rain was falling heavily at the time of the crash, which the Bristow official said was under investigation.
150 foreigners kidnapped
Helicopters had taken on an increasing role in transporting oil workers amid rising insecurity in southern Nigeria, where all of Nigeria's crude was pumped.
More than 150 foreigners had been kidnapped in Nigeria this year alone, with many taken from their vehicles as they travelled on the region's roads.
But Nigeria's aviation industry had also had troubles. Hundreds of people had died in aircraft accidents for the past three years, with analysts blaming poor maintenance and untrained ground crews.
A civilian helicopter crash in November killed one person and injured three others. In April, a military helicopter crashed in heavy rains as it helped deliver voting materials around the country.
- AP
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