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| Shetland helicopter crash: search continues for Super Puma's black box | Shetland helicopter crash: search continues for Super Puma's black box |
| (25 days later) | |
| The bodies of three oil workers killed in Friday's helicopter crash off Shetland arrived on the mainland on Monday as the search for the aircraft's black box continued. | The bodies of three oil workers killed in Friday's helicopter crash off Shetland arrived on the mainland on Monday as the search for the aircraft's black box continued. |
| The body of the fourth victim is due to arrive in Aberdeen early on Tuesday. | The body of the fourth victim is due to arrive in Aberdeen early on Tuesday. |
| Investigators studying the cause of the crash, a few hundred metres off Fitful Head at Sumburgh on the southern tip of Shetland, are still searching for the cockpit voice and flight data recorder. | Investigators studying the cause of the crash, a few hundred metres off Fitful Head at Sumburgh on the southern tip of Shetland, are still searching for the cockpit voice and flight data recorder. |
| The device is housed in the tail section of the Super Puma AS332-L2, which broke into pieces as it hit the water in poor visibility and heavy seas after what appears to have been a power failure. The aircraft was only a few miles short of its destination when it crashed at 6.20pm. | The device is housed in the tail section of the Super Puma AS332-L2, which broke into pieces as it hit the water in poor visibility and heavy seas after what appears to have been a power failure. The aircraft was only a few miles short of its destination when it crashed at 6.20pm. |
| Two crew members and 14 passengers survived the crash, the fifth incident in the North Sea involving Super Puma helicopters in the past four years. Most of the survivors suffered only light injuries and the co-pilot is recovering at home, but the pilot was kept in hospital with back injuries. | Two crew members and 14 passengers survived the crash, the fifth incident in the North Sea involving Super Puma helicopters in the past four years. Most of the survivors suffered only light injuries and the co-pilot is recovering at home, but the pilot was kept in hospital with back injuries. |
| The dead have been named as Duncan Munro, 46, from County Durham; George Allison, 57, from Hampshire; Gary McCrossan, 59, from Inverness; and Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin, the first woman in the North Sea oil industry to die offshore. | The dead have been named as Duncan Munro, 46, from County Durham; George Allison, 57, from Hampshire; Gary McCrossan, 59, from Inverness; and Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin, the first woman in the North Sea oil industry to die offshore. |
| In a statement, McCrossan's family said: "A deep void has been left in our lives". McCrossan had been due to marry his long-term partner, Fiona. | In a statement, McCrossan's family said: "A deep void has been left in our lives". McCrossan had been due to marry his long-term partner, Fiona. |
| "He was a fun, loving guy who was full of life, a great storyteller who always kept you guessing," the family said. "Gary left a piece of himself in everyone he encountered and will be greatly missed. We walk each day in his honour." | "He was a fun, loving guy who was full of life, a great storyteller who always kept you guessing," the family said. "Gary left a piece of himself in everyone he encountered and will be greatly missed. We walk each day in his honour." |
| The fuselage was recovered at the weekend, and is due to be brought in to port on the Bibby Polaris salvage vessel. Salvage experts are now using specialist sonar equipment to find the tail section and flight recorder, according to Duncan Trapp, the vice-president of safety and quality at the Super Puma's operator, CHC. | The fuselage was recovered at the weekend, and is due to be brought in to port on the Bibby Polaris salvage vessel. Salvage experts are now using specialist sonar equipment to find the tail section and flight recorder, according to Duncan Trapp, the vice-president of safety and quality at the Super Puma's operator, CHC. |
| Once retrieved, the black box will be flown to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) laboratories at Farnborough in Hampshire for examination. Until then, investigators will be relying on the testimony of the two aircrew in their effort to reconstruct events. | Once retrieved, the black box will be flown to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) laboratories at Farnborough in Hampshire for examination. Until then, investigators will be relying on the testimony of the two aircrew in their effort to reconstruct events. |
| "The CVFDR [flight recorder] has all of the technical data. It monitors all of the systems on board the aircraft so it will be able to replicate the profile of the aircraft. It will be able to tell us about what was going on with the systems, whether it be engines, hydraulics, etcetera," Trapp said. | "The CVFDR [flight recorder] has all of the technical data. It monitors all of the systems on board the aircraft so it will be able to replicate the profile of the aircraft. It will be able to tell us about what was going on with the systems, whether it be engines, hydraulics, etcetera," Trapp said. |
| "It will be able to tell us the speed and height and the rate of descent, so you can essentially use it to replicate the profile that the aircraft was flying and the health of the technical systems. It will also have the cockpit data as well. | "It will be able to tell us the speed and height and the rate of descent, so you can essentially use it to replicate the profile that the aircraft was flying and the health of the technical systems. It will also have the cockpit data as well. |
| "We're hopeful that they will find it and that it's not been damaged as a result of the accident or environmental exposure." | "We're hopeful that they will find it and that it's not been damaged as a result of the accident or environmental exposure." |
| After CHC and the North Sea's other helicopter operator, Bristow and Bond, grounded their entire Super Puma fleets as a precaution, oil industry executives and North Sea safety experts met in Aberdeen on Monday to discuss the impact on crucial lifeline flights to rigs and platforms. | After CHC and the North Sea's other helicopter operator, Bristow and Bond, grounded their entire Super Puma fleets as a precaution, oil industry executives and North Sea safety experts met in Aberdeen on Monday to discuss the impact on crucial lifeline flights to rigs and platforms. |
| With solutions ranging from greater use of ship transfers, flying different helicopter types and a temporary shutdown of non-essential platforms to relieve pressure on transport, union leaders said North Sea workers were in a rebellious mood. | With solutions ranging from greater use of ship transfers, flying different helicopter types and a temporary shutdown of non-essential platforms to relieve pressure on transport, union leaders said North Sea workers were in a rebellious mood. |
| Jake Molloy, the regional organiser for the oil workers section of the RMT trade union, said many were openly threatening to refuse to fly any type of Super Puma, which account for about 50% of all North Sea traffic. | Jake Molloy, the regional organiser for the oil workers section of the RMT trade union, said many were openly threatening to refuse to fly any type of Super Puma, which account for about 50% of all North Sea traffic. |
| It emerged on Monday that another Super Puma L2 had an emergency light come on en route to the same platform involved in Friday's crash, the Borgsten Dolphin, on 20 August. It was found to be a false alarm, CHC said. | It emerged on Monday that another Super Puma L2 had an emergency light come on en route to the same platform involved in Friday's crash, the Borgsten Dolphin, on 20 August. It was found to be a false alarm, CHC said. |
| Trapp said the firm was doing "everything humanly possible" to ensure safety, but he admitted oil workers were angry: "It is understandable that emotions are raw at the moment among the offshore workforce. They are understandably concerned and we fully appreciate that." | Trapp said the firm was doing "everything humanly possible" to ensure safety, but he admitted oil workers were angry: "It is understandable that emotions are raw at the moment among the offshore workforce. They are understandably concerned and we fully appreciate that." |
| Molloy said he had not encountered such resistance since oil workers refused to board Chinook helicopters after a crash killed 45 oil workers in 1986, forcing the industry to take the aircraft out of service in the North Sea. | Molloy said he had not encountered such resistance since oil workers refused to board Chinook helicopters after a crash killed 45 oil workers in 1986, forcing the industry to take the aircraft out of service in the North Sea. |
| With a petition on Facebook gathering 30,000 signatureslate on Monday, Molloy said an all-out boycott of the aircraft was premature. It was essential, he said, for investigators to first establish what had caused Friday's crash. | With a petition on Facebook gathering 30,000 signatureslate on Monday, Molloy said an all-out boycott of the aircraft was premature. It was essential, he said, for investigators to first establish what had caused Friday's crash. |
| About 800 Super Pumas are in service worldwide, but the frequency of crashes in the North Sea was raising anxieties of an unexplained "North Sea factor" rather than a statistical blip. "That is the big question," Molloy said. "If we're to get to the root of that problem, if indeed there is a problem, we need to get to the answer to stop further [tragic] events. | About 800 Super Pumas are in service worldwide, but the frequency of crashes in the North Sea was raising anxieties of an unexplained "North Sea factor" rather than a statistical blip. "That is the big question," Molloy said. "If we're to get to the root of that problem, if indeed there is a problem, we need to get to the answer to stop further [tragic] events. |
| "We're in a really, really, really tight spot and at this moment in time I don't have an answer and I don't think anyone has, on how to get out of this spot." After the meeting, the industry body said Oil & Gas UK said platform operators would put use their normal short-term contingency plans to cope with the cancellation of all Super Puma flights. They would need to introduce more drastic measures if their suspension lasted for longer than a few days, and would hold further meetings this week. | "We're in a really, really, really tight spot and at this moment in time I don't have an answer and I don't think anyone has, on how to get out of this spot." After the meeting, the industry body said Oil & Gas UK said platform operators would put use their normal short-term contingency plans to cope with the cancellation of all Super Puma flights. They would need to introduce more drastic measures if their suspension lasted for longer than a few days, and would hold further meetings this week. |
| Malcolm Webb, the chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, said: "Individual operators have contingency plans in place for when flights are suspended due to bad weather for example, but preparing for a wider or potentially longer-term issue will require industry-wide collaboration." | Malcolm Webb, the chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, said: "Individual operators have contingency plans in place for when flights are suspended due to bad weather for example, but preparing for a wider or potentially longer-term issue will require industry-wide collaboration." |
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