Super Puma ditches in the North Sea (again)

A helicopter carrying 18 people has ditched into the North Sea, west of the Shetland Islands. The helicopter is a Super Puma operated by CHC, which flies people to and from oil and gas platforms in the area. There is no information on any casualties.

Source

The Super Pumas had only been cleared to fly last month because of two similar crashes in the last year. Someone's going to have a "please explain" on their desk Tuesday morning

"Super Pumas cleared for take off"

They're getting a really bad reputation, and a lot of oil field workers have refused to fly to the derricks on them because of all the accidents. It's a tribute to the good flying and decision making of the crews that more people haven't died on them.

Just seen on the news that three bodies have been recovered from the North Sea and a fourth person is still missing, everyone else rescued.

Airbus Helicopters looks like it inherit a major crisis on its birth if something isn't done about this model.

Anyone want to bet it's the same old Gearbox problem...

reply to post by Soloprotocol


That would explain the "catastrophic loss of power" they described....

I'm just happy that many people got out the wreck alive - a testament to their training I suppose but sad that others have perished.

There's a fourth body been found and their names have been released

Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland;
Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin;
Gary McCrossan , 59, from Inverness;
George Allison, 57, from Winchester.

Thoughts are with their families

What alternatives are there to the Puma. I've always wondered why boats arnt used but then again the North Sea is known for its crappy weather

Be interesting to find out the cause.

The L2 and the EC 225 both appear to have had recent gearbox related problems (i thought it was just the 225). This bad news for Eurocopter and the North Sea operators.

The older AS 332 L1 has had a long career in the North Sea with a good safety record.

With regard to alternatives for the North Sea, there are a number of S-92s in service but not enough to take up the slack if all the Pumas are grounded.

The father of one of the survivors is reporting that he was told the aircraft lost power and immediately fell, resulting in impacting the water. His son was sitting next to the emergency exit, and was able to get out, but the aircraft rolled over fairly quickly.

The AAIB released a statement that there is no evidence of mechanical failure of the aircraft. The crew was on glideslope, but descending faster than they should have been, when they still couldn't see the runway, while three miles out. Visibility was 1.5 miles.

At two miles they were 240 feet below the vertical approach profile at a 500 ft/min descent rate, at 68 knots. The descent rate continued to remain steady while airspeed dropped to below 30 knots. The nose continued to rise as they slowed, and the descent rate suddenly jumped. The aircraft hit the water with engines delivering power, near pitch level, in a slight right bank.

www.flightglobal.com...

Skybrary has a page on the accident now too

I don't like choppers.....always wanted one, but too many critical moving parts....God love them

reply to post by GBP/JPY


Any aircraft that has even the concept of a "Jesus nut" is not to be trusted.

my colleagues include many pilots - the fixed wing ones can always get a rise by pointing out that helicopters do not fly - they just beat the air into submission!

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


You know after this happened I wondered about alternative methods of getting personnel from rigs to shore. So I thought of submersibles or even more accurate semi submersibles, pretty much like you see them coc aine subs you see in brazil n stuff.

Workers could climb down a secure tunnel and into the sub where once loaded the sub would stay underwater to avoid large waves out at sea at once it gets shallower it would come to the surface and cruise along on top

The idea has probably been thought of though and I'm sure there are problems involved doing this

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


The biggest problem with any kind of boat transfer is time. With a helicopter they're in and out to the rig quickly. A boat you're looking at at least a couple hours transfer time minimum.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Yeah I did consider this surely in today's age of technology there must be a quick method of propulsion for mini submersibles. Would spending time at sea weigh more than deaths/injuries/accidents in time ? I don't know it was just a thought but I'm pretty sure it's been thought of

reply to post by Zaphod58


So it's looking like Pilot error then?

reply to post by stumason


Every indication so far points to that.

Florasaurus
There's a fourth body been found and their names have been released

Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland;
Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin;
Gary McCrossan , 59, from Inverness;
George Allison, 57, from Winchester.

Thoughts are with their families

i was at gary's funeral in inverness and new george from years ago from my time offshore . gary was only on that flight as he had a bad back and should not have been on the flight till monday

They should just go back to the sea king, way better track record and they never crashed
for those of you who believe i'm serious.