Helicopter Crash

[Johnboy]

You've really got feel for all the guys (and girls) who work offshore and their families when a chopper crashes in circumstances like we have witnessed today.

Just about everyone knows someone who works offshore - Alex Macleod - one of our regular contributors is well known to many on here and the first thought on hearing news like today's is oh, my god... I hope Alex is ok... I know quite a few others too who work offshore, as I'm sure do several others on here.

The safety record of the chopper that crashed today is very good, but that won't be much comfort to the families of those involved in today'a accident.

Very sad....

RIP all those who perished today.

[Heilandee]

Terrible news,so sad for all concerned

RIP

[RiG]

The Normand Aurora is still in the area looking for survivors. I had a look at the area last night and there was a cluster of about 3 or 4 support vessels in the area as well as some others who were altering course to come and help.

The Caledonian Victory arrived back in Aberdeen last night with the bodies of some of the workman who have been found so far. This is the second time in just over a month now that there has been a crash in the North Sea and the second time the Caledonian Victory has been involved in the rescue attempt.

Terrible news.

EDIT:

P & J leads with this story rather unsurprisingly. Loads of vessels were in the area last night, Skandi Commander diverted to help out and the Maersk Fetcher was also on hand to look for survivors. The Caley Victory came into the harbour about 4 a.m. and is still here just now. Two Maersk boats are still in the area continuing the search and it seems the Northlink freight ferry the Hascosay has joined them. The Normand Aurora is still there as well and some people I have spoken to said it was the Aurora that raised the mayday call not the helicopter.

Edited April 2, 2009 by RiG

[absent friend]

I wonder if the missing people could be trapped inside the wreckage?

I also wonder how difficult the recovery of the wreckage will be. Will depth create a problem or in this times are they able to use a remote method to help recovery without the use of divers?

Thoughts go out to all the families but also to the workers still out there who will come onshore, entering into the cabin of a chopper!

Some Thought!

[Guest Muir-Jaggie]

If a helicopter crashes in water is there no a thing which inflats and keeps them a float???

Something like that.

I know thats not the 1 from yesterday but its the 1 from start of last month

Edited April 2, 2009 by Muir-Jaggie

[RiG]

Yeah that's last months one. Yesterdays one was about 13 miles off the tip of the North East coast. From the early reports coming out there was no time to activate the floatation devices. Apparently the pilot never even finished the mayday call. It was carried on by the Normand Aurora who saw the helicopter crash into the sea who alerted the coastguard.

The Hascosay has left the crash scene now and is heading towards Aberdeen. She'll be in around 3pm. There are still around 5 other vessels in the area.

[Alex MacLeod]

First of my heart goes out to the families of the souls who lost their lives yesterday. Some of them were known to me and I have an affinity with all of them. As does everyone who chooses this life to earn our bread.

RiG, The Caledonian Victory is one of four Fast Action Rescue Craft operated for BP. Three are sited in different regions of the North Sea as standby vessels. The fourth provides cover for the other three and also doubles as a supply vessel. The reason caledonian Victory has been involved twice is because that is the sector she was standby for at the time. They are state of the art rescue vessels, fitted out with all the latest rescue equipment, as well as a fully equipped hospital. On board they have two very fast Rescue and Recovery Craft as well as smaller Fast Rescue Craft. Operating alongside those vessels BP have five Sikorsky S-92 Search and Rescue helicopters. Four of which are stationed at different bases from Shetland down to Norwich.

Search and Rescue has advanced a great deal since the first discoveries in the North Sea as have the helicopters but sadly, like with any mode of transport, things can go wrong. In this case it looks very like catastrophic failure and no time to act. Most likely being a gear box siezure.

To answer the point about the floats. They are only of use in a controlled ditching, and they were activated in the February incident. In this instance the helicopter appears to have fallen out of the sky. It would have broken up on impact and the floats would likely have become detatched from the fusilage. At the time of failure the helicopter would have been in cruise mode at about 3000 feet above the water.

When incidents like this occur, due to the numbers of casualties involved, there is more media coverage and everyone gets a wake up call to the perils of working offshore. Fact is it is still the safest mode of transport available.

37,000 flights a year out of Aberdeen. Around 4000 out of Shetland and probably around 15000 in the southern sector. In the last five years there have been 4 serious Heli incidents in UK waters. So the safety speaks for itself.

There are people who will be affected by this and may never come offshore again but I tend to look at it like being in a car. If there's a major RTA I'm not going to stop travelling on the roads.

[Johnboy]

At the time of failure the helicopter would have been in cruise mode at about 3000 feet above the water.

Alex...First of all my heartfelt sympathy to you for the pain you must be feeling for your lost colleagues.

Something that has puzzled me for a long time.

Why do they fly over the sea at an altitude of 3000ft? What would be wrong with flying at a couple of hundred feet?

In something like a major gear box failure surely the passengers and crew would have a decent chance of surviving the impact of a crash into the sea from that height?

[+Gringo]

Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.

[RiG]

Alex - you're talking about the JIGSAW regions correct?

The SFPA FPV Hirta was also involved this afternoon and the former SFPA boat Vigilant was combing the area. However it looks like the search has all but been called off. There don't appear to be (m)any vessels still in that area now

[Alex MacLeod]

At the time of failure the helicopter would have been in cruise mode at about 3000 feet above the water.

Alex...First of all my heartfelt sympathy to you for the pain you must be feeling for your lost colleagues.

Something that has puzzled me for a long time.

Why do they fly over the sea at an altitude of 3000ft? What would be wrong with flying at a couple of hundred feet?

In something like a major gear box failure surely the passengers and crew would have a decent chance of surviving the impact of a crash into the sea from that height?

Civil Aviation Authority and Aberdeen flight control centre dictate flying hieght. There are a couple of reasons for cruising hieght. East coast is a designated low fly area for RAF so Heli's fly above to stay safe. If chopper is too low and a less catastrophic problem occurs pilots have a better chance of controlling things if they've hieght to play with.

[Alex MacLeod]

Alex - you're talking about the JIGSAW regions correct?

The SFPA FPV Hirta was also involved this afternoon and the former SFPA boat Vigilant was combing the area. However it looks like the search has all but been called off. There don't appear to be (m)any vessels still in that area now

Correct RiG. the Jigsaw project. 4 ships, 3 choppers, 10 other standby vessels, sophisticated radar system etc. Costs over ?20 million a year to operate

[Scarlet Pimple]

The opening post says it all. I was in communication with you Alex about the Canadian crash recently off Nova Scotia . My first thought when I saw this tragedy on TV here in Vancouver was ..."oh my goodness I hope Alex is O.K." .

The Canadian helicopter apparently had a pin break loose from the gearbox and that did it in. The plane dropped like a stone and they have now recoved the wreckage and 17 of the 18 persons on board. This also was a very sad accident affecting the lives of many folks in and around the district from whence the victims came.

My condolences to all affected.

[latviaman]

The opening post says it all. I was in communication with you Alex about the Canadian crash recently off Nova Scotia . My first thought when I saw this tragedy on TV here in Vancouver was ..."oh my goodness I hope Alex is O.K." .

The Canadian helicopter apparently had a pin break loose from the gearbox and that did it in. The plane dropped like a stone and they have now recoved the wreckage and 17 of the 18 persons on board. This also was a very sad accident affecting the lives of many folks in and around the district from whence the victims came.

My condolences to all affected.

I used to fly helicopters in the Royal Navy and agree with other posts that when things happen they usually do so very quickly. I went down once and flotation bags kept us afloat till the rescue boat arrived I didn't get my feet wet. It was the main gearbox in my case.

I agree with Alex , the North Sea safety record is very good considering the number of flights. As to never flying again as it is too dangerous, you have more chance of an accident driving to the airport than in an aircraft. By the way I had a car accident driving to work a couple of days ago!! only pride hurt!!!