Caverton Helicopters Limited interim-statement serious-incident CHL/2024/01/20/INTR/01
On 20 January, 2024 at about 07:53 h, a Leonardo S.P.A. AW139 Helicopter with nationality and registration marks 5N-BSG operated by Caverton Helicopters Limited departed Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos (DNMM) for Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO); routing DNMM – Bonga FPSO – DS10 – DNMM) as a charter flight 360A on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan with 12 persons onboard, including 2 flight crew. The Captain was the Pilot Flying (PF) while the First Officer was the Pilot Monitoring (PM).
At 08:19 h, the flight crew reported reaching ETVOV – a waypoint on Radial 151̊ and 69 NM from Lagos, maintaining 2,500 ft on QNH. Shortly afterward, while cruising at 2,500 ft, the Crew Alerting System (CAS) displayed Auto Pilot 1 [AP1 FAIL] and Auto Pilot 1 [AP2 FAIL] messages. According to the flight crew, several unsuccessful attempts were made severally to clear the faults, including resetting controls and re-engaging the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). The Multi-Purpose Flight Recorder (MPFR) captured five disengagements and re-engagements of AP2 in a 2-minute period. Thereafter, the flight crew reset the MASTER GEN 1 & 2 Gang Bar to clear the faults. The flight crew stated that the [AP1 FAIL] message came ON followed by helicopter nose drop. The flight crew continued attempts to re-engage the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS).
