Date:	Friday 6 April 2012
Time:
Type:	Aérospatiale AS 350BA Ecureuil
Owner/operator:	Trans Hélicoptère Service SA - THS
Registration:	F-GFZC
MSN:	2163
Year of manufacture:	1988
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Région d’Agadez, Tenere desert -   Niger
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Offshore
Departure airport:	Agadem oil block
Destination airport:	Fachi
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
An Aérospatiale AS 350BA Ecureuil helicopter, enroute from oil company CNPC's remote Agadem oil block (about 1,500 km east of the capital Niamey) to Fachi, crashed in the Région d’Agadez, Tenere desert, about 10km away from its destination.

The helicopter was missed since Friday 6 April when it didn't arrive at its destination and was found Monday 9 April. The ELT did not activate. Two French crewmembers and four Chinese CNPC employees were killed.

http://www.bea.aero/fr/enquetes/2012/2012.semaine.15.pdf

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/10/worldupdates/2012-04-09T205836Z_1_BRE8380UB_RTROPTT_0_UK-NIGER-CRASH&sec=Worldupdates?file=/2012/4/10/worldupdates/2012-04-09T205836Z_1_BRE8380UB_RTROPTT_0_UK-NIGER-CRASH&sec=Worldupdates
https://gev.com/2012/04/helicopter-crash-kills-four-in-tenere-desert-in-niger/
[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/704070/Four-Chinese-oil-workers-killed-in-Niger-helicopter-crash.aspx]
http://en.ce.cn/World/Africa/201204/10/t20120410_23225836.shtml
[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.lesahel.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10089:communique-de-presse-du-gouvernement--six-personnes-dont-quatre-4-chinois-et-deux-2-francais-trouvent-la-mort-dans-un-crash-dhelicoptere&catid=34:actualites&Itemid=53]

http://www.airliners.net/photos/airliners/1/9/1/1492191.jpg (photo)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-niger-crash-idUSBRE8380UD20120409_

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

11 July 2008

F-GFZC

Hélijet

0

Chambéry Aix-les-Bains Airport

sub

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Apr-2012 16:02	RobertMB	Added
10-Apr-2012 03:42	TB	Updated [Date, Registration, Source]
10-Apr-2012 06:49	RobertMB	Updated [Source, Narrative]
12-Apr-2012 18:35	RobertMB	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
18-Apr-2012 12:45	harro	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source]
19-Apr-2012 07:06	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative]
31-Aug-2014 18:28	Aerossurance	Updated [Nature, Narrative]
26-Sep-2016 20:57	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Narrative]