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| Briton among 13 killed in helicopter crash off Norway | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Briton is among 13 people killed in a helicopter crash off the west coast of Norway near Bergen on Friday. | |
| Eleven bodies have been found after the aircraft crashed near the island of Turøy. The helicopter was carrying oil workers to the mainland from Statoil’s Gullfaks B oil platform in the North Sea when it came down. | |
| A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said: “We have offered our support to the family of a British national who has sadly died in a helicopter crash in Bergen, Norway. Our thoughts are with all those affected. We will remain in contact with local authorities.” | A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said: “We have offered our support to the family of a British national who has sadly died in a helicopter crash in Bergen, Norway. Our thoughts are with all those affected. We will remain in contact with local authorities.” |
| Norway’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said it was still searching for two of those on board but a spokesman for the western police district told Aftenposten the assumption was that all 13 people had died. The helicopter was carrying 11 Statoil employees and two crew members. | Norway’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said it was still searching for two of those on board but a spokesman for the western police district told Aftenposten the assumption was that all 13 people had died. The helicopter was carrying 11 Statoil employees and two crew members. |
| Live television footage showed leisure boats rushing towards the crash scene, from where thick black smoke was billowing into the sky. | Live television footage showed leisure boats rushing towards the crash scene, from where thick black smoke was billowing into the sky. |
| Several witnesses described seeing the aircraft spiral downwards, followed by a powerful explosion. | Several witnesses described seeing the aircraft spiral downwards, followed by a powerful explosion. |
| Rebecca Andersen told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that the helicopter’s “rotor blades came rushing toward us. Then we heard a violent explosion.” | Rebecca Andersen told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that the helicopter’s “rotor blades came rushing toward us. Then we heard a violent explosion.” |
| The air traffic monitoring site Flightradar24 said the helicopter had plunged 195 metres (640ft) in 10 seconds. | The air traffic monitoring site Flightradar24 said the helicopter had plunged 195 metres (640ft) in 10 seconds. |
| A resident told the local paper 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 the local paper 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.” |
| “Pieces [of the helicopter] flew into the air,” she said, adding that she saw a rotor blade detach. | “Pieces [of the helicopter] flew into the air,” she said, adding that she saw a rotor blade detach. |
| The area just west of Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, sees frequent helicopter traffic to and from offshore oil installations. | The area just west of Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, sees frequent helicopter traffic to and from offshore oil installations. |
| Statoil said it had temporarily grounded all helicopters of the type that crashed, an Airbus H225 Super Puma. A centre for next of kin has been established at Scandic Bergen airport hotel, with psychologists on hand to help relatives and others affected. | Statoil said it had temporarily grounded all helicopters of the type that crashed, an Airbus H225 Super Puma. A centre for next of kin has been established at Scandic Bergen airport hotel, with psychologists on hand to help relatives and others affected. |
| In August 2013, all UK Super Pumas were grounded by CHC, the company that operated them, after one of the aircraft plunged into the North Sea off the Shetland, killing four. They resumed flying shortly after, when they were given the all-clear by experts. | In August 2013, all UK Super Pumas were grounded by CHC, the company that operated them, after one of the aircraft plunged into the North Sea off the Shetland, killing four. They resumed flying shortly after, when they were given the all-clear by experts. |
| The previous year, the 225 model Super Pumas were grounded after two crashes, one off Aberdeen and another off Shetland. They had been given the go-ahead to resume flying just before the fatal crash in August. | The previous year, the 225 model Super Pumas were grounded after two crashes, one off Aberdeen and another off Shetland. They had been given the go-ahead to resume flying just before the fatal crash in August. |
| A team from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch will travel to Norway on Saturday to assist the investigation because of its experience of carrying out inquiries into several crashes involving helicopters operating to and from offshore oil and gas fields in recent years. There were five accidents involving Super Puma helicopters in the UK offshore industry, causing 20 deaths, in the four years to August 2013. | A team from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch will travel to Norway on Saturday to assist the investigation because of its experience of carrying out inquiries into several crashes involving helicopters operating to and from offshore oil and gas fields in recent years. There were five accidents involving Super Puma helicopters in the UK offshore industry, causing 20 deaths, in the four years to August 2013. |