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| Shetland helicopter crash: no technical cause found, say investigators | Shetland helicopter crash: no technical cause found, say investigators |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Air accident investigators have found no technical cause for the crash of a Super Puma helicopter into the sea off Shetland killing four passengers last month, despite preliminary analysis of data from its black box flight recorder. | Air accident investigators have found no technical cause for the crash of a Super Puma helicopter into the sea off Shetland killing four passengers last month, despite preliminary analysis of data from its black box flight recorder. |
| In a bulletin issued on Thursday, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed the flight data showed the helicopter had been on a normal flight path approaching Sumburgh airport on 23 August, when it suddenly started to descend faster and lower than its normal line of approach about two miles from the runway. | In a bulletin issued on Thursday, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed the flight data showed the helicopter had been on a normal flight path approaching Sumburgh airport on 23 August, when it suddenly started to descend faster and lower than its normal line of approach about two miles from the runway. |
| "At about two miles from the runway threshold the helicopter was approximately 240 ft [73 metres] below the vertical approach profile, with a rate of descent of about 500 ft per minute, and an airspeed of 68 knots," the bulletin said. | "At about two miles from the runway threshold the helicopter was approximately 240 ft [73 metres] below the vertical approach profile, with a rate of descent of about 500 ft per minute, and an airspeed of 68 knots," the bulletin said. |
| "The airspeed continued to reduce to below 30 knots and as it did so the helicopter pitched increasingly nose-up. The rate of descent remained constant for a period, before increasing rapidly." | "The airspeed continued to reduce to below 30 knots and as it did so the helicopter pitched increasingly nose-up. The rate of descent remained constant for a period, before increasing rapidly." |
| The AS332 L2 Super Puma was almost level when it then struck the sea just over a mile west of the airport, with both engines delivering power. | The AS332 L2 Super Puma was almost level when it then struck the sea just over a mile west of the airport, with both engines delivering power. |
| It said, in summary: "To date, no evidence of a causal technical failure has been identified; however, detailed examination of the [flight recorder] data and the helicopter wreckage is continuing." The team still have much data and physical wreckage to examine, so are not ruling out technical failure. | It said, in summary: "To date, no evidence of a causal technical failure has been identified; however, detailed examination of the [flight recorder] data and the helicopter wreckage is continuing." The team still have much data and physical wreckage to examine, so are not ruling out technical failure. |
| The bulletin confirms evidence last week from the oil industry's helicopter safety group and the Civil Aviation Authority that no evidence of an airworthiness or technical defect had been found. The safety committee allowed all three types of Super Puma which had grounded immediately after the crash to resume flying passengers and cargo throughout the North Sea. | The bulletin confirms evidence last week from the oil industry's helicopter safety group and the Civil Aviation Authority that no evidence of an airworthiness or technical defect had been found. The safety committee allowed all three types of Super Puma which had grounded immediately after the crash to resume flying passengers and cargo throughout the North Sea. |
| Two days before that decision, the Norwegian civil aviation authority said it was allowing its identical Super Puma aircraft to resume operations because there was no clear technical cause for the crash. | Two days before that decision, the Norwegian civil aviation authority said it was allowing its identical Super Puma aircraft to resume operations because there was no clear technical cause for the crash. |
| These disclosures have dampened down calls for a full-scale public inquiry into the safety of North Sea helicopters; the Shetland crash was the fifth involving a Super Puma in the four years since another type of Super Puma crashed off Peterhead, killing 16 men in 2009. | These disclosures have dampened down calls for a full-scale public inquiry into the safety of North Sea helicopters; the Shetland crash was the fifth involving a Super Puma in the four years since another type of Super Puma crashed off Peterhead, killing 16 men in 2009. |
| The AAIB said it had spent two days drying out the black box, and was also examining the rest of the helicopter's wreckage. Its bulletin also confirmed that the helicopter's 51-year-old pilot, who has not been named, was seriously injured. He was taken to hospital with serious back injuries. | |
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