April 2009 North Sea helicopter crash
Coordinates: 57°33′14″N 0°00′00″E / 57.554°N -0.000°E{{#coordinates:57.554|-0.000|region:GB_scale:2000000|||||| |primary |name= }}
| px | |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 1 April 2009 |
| Type | Under Investigation; initial report indicates mechanical failure |
| Site | 11 nautical miles (20 km) northeast of Peterhead, Scotland |
| Passengers | 14 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 16[1] |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma |
| Operator | Bond Offshore Helicopters |
| Tail number | G-REDL |
| Flight origin | Aberdeen Airport |
| Last stopover | Miller oilfield |
| Destination | Aberdeen Airport |
The April 2009 North Sea helicopter crash, which involved a Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma Mk 2 belonging to Bond Offshore Helicopters, engaged on flight 85N, that crashed 11 nautical miles (20 km) northeast of Peterhead, Scotland just before 2:00 pm on 1 April 2009 in the North Sea while returning from a BP oil platform in the Miller oilfield, 240 km (150 mi) northeast of Peterhead.[2] The crash killed all sixteen people aboard.[3][4][5][6]
The helicopter was flown by Captain Paul Burnham and co-pilot Richard Menzies, both working for Bond Offshore Helicopters.[7] Most of the victims were employees of KCA Deutag Drilling.
Bond also operated a very similar Eurocopter EC225LP helicopter which crashed in the North Sea on 18 February 2009, in which all 18 aboard escaped and were rescued.[3][8]
The most serious previous North Sea helicopter accident had been the 1986 British International Helicopters Chinook crash, when a Boeing 234 Chinook crashed killing 45 people.[9][10]
Recovery
The search for survivors was called off on the evening of 2 April, rescuers admitting that there was no chance of finding anyone alive, and the Vigilant returned to Peterhead on 4 April. The 8 bodies found a few hours after the crash were taken to Aberdeen and on to a police mortuary.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) chartered the seismic survey vessel Vigilant for its initial investigation, which arrived on site on 3 April, carrying specialised sonar equipment to locate the wreckage on the seabed. The aircraft was thought to be lying in approximately 90 metres of water, but as of 3 April the exact location was not known. No EPIRB beacon signal had been reported.[11]
Grampian Police stated on the evening of 4 April that they had identified all the bodies. One of them, Nolan Goble, was the brother of former professional footballer, Steve Goble.[12] A second vessel, the Diving Support Vessel Bibby Topaz, was chartered to assist the work, and sailed from Peterhead on 4 April, to attempt to recover the wreckage and the cockpit voice and flight data recorders.[13]
The wreckage of the Super Puma was subsequently located on the sea bed in 100 m (330 ft) by the Bibby Topaz. The remaining eight bodies were recovered from inside the fuselage. The combined FDR/CVR was recovered and sent to the Farnborough headquarters of the AAIB for analysis,[1][14] as was all the wreckage.[15]
Investigation
The AAIB invited the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA), Eurocopter, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the UK Civil Aviation Authority to participate.[7] The AAIB released a third press statement on 4 April 2009 stating that work to recover the wreckage of G-REDL was continuing.[citation needed]
On 11 April the AAIB released its initial report into the accident in which it stated that the immediate cause of the accident was a "catastrophic failure of the main rotor gearbox" and the consequent detachment of the main rotor. Three safety recommendations were made, the first of which was that all Super Puma helicopters should receive additional checks on the main rotor gearbox epicyclic module.[16]
On 17 April the AAIB released a second report noting that metallic debris from the gearbox had been detected 34 flying hours prior to the helicopter crash. However, "no signs of an incipient gearbox failure were detected". In response, the EASA ordered an "urgent" inspection of the gearboxes on both the AS332L2 Super Puma and the EC225LP Super Puma. Helicopter operators were given to 24 April to complete the inspections.[17][18]
On 16 July the AAIB published AAIB Special Bulletin: 5/2009 detailing further progress in the investigation, including two further safety recommendations 2009-74 and 2009-75. These respectively called on the EASA to urgently review the manuals on magnetic particle detection and on planetary gear inspection.[19]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Howie, Michael (6 April 2009). "Divers recover last of helicopter victims". The Scotsman (UK). http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Divers-recover--last-of.5143558.jp. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ↑ McConville, Beth (1 April 2009). "Helicopter with 16 people down in North Sea". Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iD4dApDJY7DPDzZMcFwEOs8EKBngD979T2EO3. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Eight dead as helicopter crashes". BBC News. 1 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/7977095.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ↑ "16 feared dead in helicopter crash". The Press Association. 1 April 2009. http://www.pressassociation.com/component/pafeeds/2009/04/01/helicopter_ditches_in_north_sea?camefrom=news. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ↑ "A "Super Puma" helicopter ditched in the North Sea". World Aeronautical Press Agency. 1 April 2009. http://www.avionews.com/index.php?corpo=see_news_home.php&news_id=1102263&pagina_chiamante=index.php. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ↑ Carrell, Severin (1 April 2009). "North Sea helicopter crash: all 16 people on board feared dead". The Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/01/north-sea-helicopter-crash-eight-deaths. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Helicopter crash probe continues". BBC News. 3 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/7980420.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
- ↑ "Rescue in the North Sea". BBC News. 19 February 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/7899213.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ↑ "Fatal helicopter crash occurred only six weeks after similar incident". STV. 1 April 2009. http://news.stv.tv/home/85987-fatal-helicopter-crash-only-six-weeks-after-similar-incident/. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ↑ "AAIB Bulletin S3/2009 G-REDU". Air Accidents Investigation Branch. March 2009. http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/special_bulletins/s3_2009___eurocopter_ec225_lp_super_puma__g_redu.cfm. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ↑ Urquhart, Frank (3 April 2009). "North Sea helicopter disaster: Public inquiry would prove a fitting memorial – Salmond". The Scotsman (UK). http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/North-Sea-helicopter-disaster-Public.5138238.jp. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
- ↑ "Brother of ex-City player dies in chopper crash". East Anglian Daily Times. 3 April 2009. http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=IPED03%20Apr%202009%2011%3A30%3A50%3A007.
- ↑ "Salvage ship in helicopter search". BBC News. 4 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7982836.stm.
- ↑ "More helicopter bodies recovered". BBC News. 5 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7984332.stm. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- ↑ "Task group to assess helicopters". BBC News. 8 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7988073.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
- ↑ "G-REDL Initial Report" (PDF). AAIB. 2009-04-11. http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources/G-REDL%20-%20Initial%20AAIB%20Report.pdf. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ↑ Woodman, Peter (2009-04-18). "'Urgent' checks on helicopter gearboxes after North Sea crash". The Independent (UK). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/urgent-checks-on-helicopter-gearboxes-after-north-sea-crash-1670414.html. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
- ↑ "Initial report 2". Air Accidents Investigation Branch. 17 April 2009. http://www.aaib.gov.uk/latest_news/initial_report_2___super_puma_accident.cfm. AAIB Ref: EW/C2009/04/01
- ↑ "S5/2009 Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma, G-REDL" (PDF). Air Accidents Investigation Board. 16 July 2009. http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/S5-2009_Eurocopter_AS332L2_Super_Puma,_G-REDL_08-09.pdf.
Further reading
- Accident / Serious Incident Report for April 2009 North Sea helicopter crash on SKYbrary categorised under Airworthiness / Loss of Control
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
