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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
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| Weather delays helicopter probe | |
| (about 18 hours later) | |
| Bad weather is likely to delay the probe into the helicopter crash over the Morecambe Bay gas field until next week at the earliest, say coastguards. | |
| Ged Lynch of HM Coastguard said the delay came as conditions were near gale force and that the weather was set to deteriorate further this weekend. | |
| The search for a seventh man missing following the helicopter crash that killed six has now been called off. | |
| A data recorder from the 20-year-old helicopter has not yet been recovered. | |
| All the men involved in the crash off the Lancashire coast have now been named. | |
| Rig workers Robert Warburton from Heysham, Leslie Ahmed from South Shields, John Shaw from Kirkcaldy and Alfred Neasham from Durham were killed. | Rig workers Robert Warburton from Heysham, Leslie Ahmed from South Shields, John Shaw from Kirkcaldy and Alfred Neasham from Durham were killed. |
| Pilots Stephen Potton from Blackpool and Simon Foddering from Preston also died. A search for contractor Keith Smith has been called off. | Pilots Stephen Potton from Blackpool and Simon Foddering from Preston also died. A search for contractor Keith Smith has been called off. |
| The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it had called off the search for Mr Smith, 57, of Stockton-on-Tees, because "all that could be done in terms of search and rescue has been done". | The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it had called off the search for Mr Smith, 57, of Stockton-on-Tees, because "all that could be done in terms of search and rescue has been done". |
| Traumatised witness | Traumatised witness |
| The helicopter, which took off from Blackpool Airport, was on a routine flight between rigs for gas firm Centrica when it crashed into the sea 25 miles off the coast on Wednesday evening. | The helicopter, which took off from Blackpool Airport, was on a routine flight between rigs for gas firm Centrica when it crashed into the sea 25 miles off the coast on Wednesday evening. |
| The cause of the accident involving the Eurocopter is unknown | The cause of the accident involving the Eurocopter is unknown |
| Lancashire Police said the helicopter, a Eurocopter AS365N, had flown to two gas rigs and was on its way to a third when it "veered to the left" and ditched into the sea. | Lancashire Police said the helicopter, a Eurocopter AS365N, had flown to two gas rigs and was on its way to a third when it "veered to the left" and ditched into the sea. |
| It crashed 500 yards away from the third rig. No emergency call was received. | It crashed 500 yards away from the third rig. No emergency call was received. |
| The helicopter was flying from the Millom West platform - owned by Burlington Resources Ltd but operated by Centrica - to the North Morecambe platform on its way to the South Morecambe platform, which is permanently occupied. | The helicopter was flying from the Millom West platform - owned by Burlington Resources Ltd but operated by Centrica - to the North Morecambe platform on its way to the South Morecambe platform, which is permanently occupied. |
| Three people on the third platform witnessed the incident. One of them had been due to board the helicopter and was described by police as "traumatised". | Three people on the third platform witnessed the incident. One of them had been due to board the helicopter and was described by police as "traumatised". |
| Police said the weather was normal for the time of year and that the witnesses said they saw nothing unusual with the helicopter. | Police said the weather was normal for the time of year and that the witnesses said they saw nothing unusual with the helicopter. |
| Family grief | Family grief |
| The families and friends of crash victims have been paying tribute to their loved ones. | The families and friends of crash victims have been paying tribute to their loved ones. |
| Mr Shaw's wife Deirdra said her 51-year-old husband - known to friends as Jake - would be "sorely missed by everyone who knew him". | Mr Shaw's wife Deirdra said her 51-year-old husband - known to friends as Jake - would be "sorely missed by everyone who knew him". |
| Mr Neasham's daughter Jill said her family would "never come to terms with" the death of her father, Alfred, 57. | Mr Neasham's daughter Jill said her family would "never come to terms with" the death of her father, Alfred, 57. |
| Neighbours of Mr Foddering, 33, described him as a "fantastic guy" and a "devoted father". | Neighbours of Mr Foddering, 33, described him as a "fantastic guy" and a "devoted father". |
| And relatives of 51-year-old Mr Potton, speaking from his home in Blackpool, said they were devastated. | And relatives of 51-year-old Mr Potton, speaking from his home in Blackpool, said they were devastated. |
| Mr Ahmed, 48, had been planning to hold a late Christmas celebration with his family because he had been working over the holiday. | Mr Ahmed, 48, had been planning to hold a late Christmas celebration with his family because he had been working over the holiday. |
| The family of Mr Warburton, 60, asked to be left alone to grieve in peace. | The family of Mr Warburton, 60, asked to be left alone to grieve in peace. |
| A Cleveland Police spokesman said friends and family of missing Mr Smith were "clinging to the hope that he will be found safe and well." | A Cleveland Police spokesman said friends and family of missing Mr Smith were "clinging to the hope that he will be found safe and well." |
| 'Parts replaced' | 'Parts replaced' |
| Frank Cygal, a gas rig worker turning up for work at Blackpool Airport helicopter terminal on Thursday, said: "It's just horrible thinking about the families. | Frank Cygal, a gas rig worker turning up for work at Blackpool Airport helicopter terminal on Thursday, said: "It's just horrible thinking about the families. |
| There was no emergency call so whatever happened happened very fast David LearmountFlight International Unravelling the mystery | There was no emergency call so whatever happened happened very fast David LearmountFlight International Unravelling the mystery |
| "Those fellas coming home for New Year had not had a Christmas and the families - I can't imagine what they're going through." | "Those fellas coming home for New Year had not had a Christmas and the families - I can't imagine what they're going through." |
| David Learmount, safety expert with Flight International magazine, said the age of the helicopter - it was manufactured in 1986 - was "one of the factors that the investigators will look at. | |
| "But, on the other hand, all of the other components are lifed individually." | |
| He said: "Apart from the chassis, just about every part will have been replaced - in some cases several times - since it was built." | |
| 'Excellent' record | 'Excellent' record |
| CHC Scotia said that, while the aircraft itself was 20 years old, "most of the components are regularly replaced". | CHC Scotia said that, while the aircraft itself was 20 years old, "most of the components are regularly replaced". |
| Spokesman Keith Mullett said the firm operated five Eurocopter AS365N helicopters - known as the Dauphin - in Europe, and the aircraft's safety record and performance in the fleet had been "excellent". | |
| He said: "The amount of information we have is extremely limited. The investigation is in its early stages. | |
| "It is much too early to say or to speculate at all about what could have happened," he said. | |
| Inquiry launched | Inquiry launched |
| Centrica's Sam Laidlaw said: "Our priority is to provide as much support as we can. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families at this terrible time." | Centrica's Sam Laidlaw said: "Our priority is to provide as much support as we can. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families at this terrible time." |
| Mr Laidlaw said it was the first major incident to affect the company's operations in Morecambe Bay since they began 21 years ago. | Mr Laidlaw said it was the first major incident to affect the company's operations in Morecambe Bay since they began 21 years ago. |
| The four dead passengers all worked for Centrica, and Mr Smith is an employee of one of its contractors, Costain Petrofac. | The four dead passengers all worked for Centrica, and Mr Smith is an employee of one of its contractors, Costain Petrofac. |
| The Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) has launched an inquiry into the incident. | The Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) has launched an inquiry into the incident. |
| Gas was discovered in the area in 1974 and extraction operations began 11 years later. There are about 143 Centrica staff working on the platforms at any one time. | Gas was discovered in the area in 1974 and extraction operations began 11 years later. There are about 143 Centrica staff working on the platforms at any one time. |