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Norway helicopter crash: 11 killed near Bergen Norway helicopter crash: 13 killed near Bergen
(about 1 hour later)
Eleven people have been found dead and two are missing after a helicopter crashed west of the Norwegian city of Bergen carrying 13, rescuers say. Thirteen people are presumed dead after a helicopter crashed west of the Norwegian city of Bergen, rescuers say.
Eleven of those on board were Norwegian, one was British and one Italian. Eleven of those on board were Norwegian, one was British and one Italian. No survivors have been found.
Photos from the scene show thick smoke coming from an area of rocky islets. A major rescue operation was launched but ended within hours of the crash.
The helicopter was "totally destroyed", reports said. It was flying from the Gullfaks oil field to Bergen, a centre for the North Sea oil and gas industry. Meanwhile Norway's civil aviation authority has imposed a flight ban on the type of helicopter that crashed - the Eurocopter (EC) 225L Super Puma. Reports say it was "totally destroyed".
Oil company Statoil, which said the aircraft was "on assignment" for it, has temporarily grounded all helicopters of the same type, the Eurocopter (EC) 225 Super Puma. The aircraft was flying from the Gullfaks oil field to Bergen, a centre for the North Sea oil and gas industry.
It came down near the small island of Turoey, just west of the village of Solsvik. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said news of the crash was "horrible".
Police spokesman Morten Kronen said a major operation, which included firefighters, divers and medical workers, was under way to rescue the two missing people. King Harald and Queen Sonja cancelled a trip to Sweden, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported.
'Peculiar engine sound'
Oil company Statoil said the aircraft was "on assignment" for it. All the passengers were employees of Statoil, reports say.
Both Statoil and BP have suspended use of the Super Puma.
The helicopter came down near the small island of Turoey, just west of the village of Solsvik.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter's rotor blade come loose and shear off.Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter's rotor blade come loose and shear off.
"There was an explosion and a very peculiar engine sound, so I looked out the window. I saw the helicopter falling quickly into the sea. Then I saw a big explosion," a local resident told local newspaper Bergensavisen. "There was an explosion and a very peculiar engine sound, so I looked out the window. I saw the helicopter falling quickly into the sea. Then I saw a big explosion," a resident told local newspaper Bergensavisen.
Local media said the helicopter dropped 640m in the last 10 seconds before it crashed. Some wreckage was found on the island, and parts of the fuselage are in the sea. Photos from the scene showed thick smoke coming from an area of rocky islets.
All passengers on the helicopter were employees of Statoil, reports say. Local media said the helicopter dropped 640m in the last 10 seconds before it crashed. Some wreckage was found on the rocks, and parts of the fuselage are in the sea.
Norway's civil aviation authority said there had been problems with the main gearbox on the EC225 in 2012 and flying restrictions were imposed on it then and in the following year. Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma
Source: http://www.airbushelicopters.com/website/en/ref/H225_40.html
The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch is sending a team to Norway because it has investigated a number of crashes involving helicopters operating to and from offshore oil and gas fields in recent years.The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch is sending a team to Norway because it has investigated a number of crashes involving helicopters operating to and from offshore oil and gas fields in recent years.
In 2012, EC225 Super Puma helicopters crashed in two incidents in Scotland, one off Aberdeen and another off Shetland, both blamed on gearbox problems.
In both cases, all passengers and crew were rescued. EC225s in the UK were grounded following the crashes but given the go-ahead to resume flying in 2013.