Safety group finds no evidence of fleet-wide fault, but L2 type involved in accident will be restricted to non-passenger duties
A safety body has cleared all Super Puma helicopters to return to service in the North Sea, nearly a week after a fatal crash off Shetland left four oil workers dead.
The decision by the Helicopter Safety Steering Group, a multi-agency body involving oil firms, aircraft operators, unions and safety agencies, came as accident investigators revealed details about the last moments of the Super Puma that crashed on Friday.
An interim report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the helicopter went into a rapid descent after it lost power three miles off Sumburgh airport on Friday evening, but flew on for a mile before crashing a short distance from Shetland's rocky coastline in heavy mist.
It hit the water upright and intact only two miles from Sumburgh's runway, but then very quickly capsized and – as the passengers and crew struggled to get free – began to be pulled towards the rocks on Garths Ness by the tide and heavy seas.
Four passengers, including the first woman to die in a North Sea oil industry accident, were killed and the pilot was left with serious back injuries. In all, 14 people survived, largely because the helicopter crashed so close to land, allowing rescuers to reach the site far faster.
On Thursday afternoon, the investigation into the precise cause of the crash took a significant step forward after the AAIB said it had finally recovered the combined voice and flight data recorder, which would be sent to its base at Farnborough, Hampshire, for analysis.
The data recorder is thought to have been around 16 metres down, contained in the Super Puma's tail section, which was broken off the aircraft after it was dashed onto rocks on Shetland's coast.
Although investigators soon detected the black box's beacon, it has taken five days to retrieve, and is likely to provide crucial technical data about the cause of the crash.
The helicopter safety group said that the two types of Super Puma not involved in Friday's crash, the L1 and the EC225, would immediately resume all their scheduled flying operations, while the L2 variant involved in the crash would only start limited operations offshore.
Oil & Gas UK, the main industry body, said the safety group's decision to clear the Super Pumas was based on confidence in the aircraft from all the main UK, European and Norwegian safety agencies.
Les Linklater, the safety group's team leader, said the L2 would not carry oil workers at first because of widespread anxieties in the wake of the crash, and to allow the oil industry and helicopter operators time to rebuild confidence about its safety amongst the 55,000 people working offshore.
"In recognition of the understandable sensitivities around the immediate return to service of the L2 fleet, this type will be initially reintroduced for non-passenger revenue operations only. This means non-passenger-carrying maintenance, positioning and training flights only," Linklater said.
Malcolm Webb, the chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, said any worried oil workers would be treated with compassion: "I wish to make it absolutely clear that, as a result of these arrangements, no one unwilling to fly will be forced to do so."
Oil & Gas UK would also implement a recommendation from the Helicopter Safety Steering Group for an independent review of helicopter transportation in collaboration with the trade unions, he said, after it identified concerns about comfort, cabin layout and lack of confidence over safety.
There was no evidence of a fleet-wide technical or mechanical fault with the L2 type or any other Super Puma, Linklater said, a belief underpinned by the AAIB's interim report stating the aircraft was intact when it hit the sea.
The L2s were also flying without problems elsewhere in the world and the pilots' union Balpa said its members had full confidence in the aircraft.
Although the AAIB has not disclosed any specific cause for Friday's incident, the safety group's decision to reintroduce the helicopters indicates they believe the Shetland crash was a one-off accident.
The Norwegian civil aviation authority had earlier rejected appeals from its unions to ground all its Super Pumas – which operate in the North Sea in very similar weather conditions to the UK fleet – insisting that Friday's crash was an isolated incident.
Geir Hamre, chairman of the Norwegian helicopter safety committee, told the Guardian: "We can't connect this to any similar accident previously, and that is the reason why we say it's an isolated case and have decided not to stop them flying."
The clean bill of health for Super Pumas suggests that pleas earlier on Thursday for a full-scale public inquiry into helicopter safety from Frank Doran, the Labour MP for Aberdeen North, are likely to be rejected by the transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin.
In a letter to McLoughlin, Doran said the five accidents involving different Super Pumas in the last four years, including a crash that killed 16 in 2009, had badly damaged confidence amongst the 57,000 people working in the North Sea. "The number of incidents over the last four years has caused huge uncertainty amongst the workforce," Doran said.
The AAIB's initial account was published as further sections of the Super Puma L2 – its gearbox and rotor blades and part of its fuselage – were found late on Wednesday by salvage crews and taken by the recovery vessel Bibby Polaris to Lerwick harbour just before dawn on Thursday.
Both engines and part of the cockpit have also been located offshore. Along with the flight recorder, all the parts are being sent to the AAIB's headquarters at Farnborough for detailed examination.
The AAIB said: "Preliminary information indicates that the approach proceeded normally until approximately three miles from the runway when there was a reduction in airspeed accompanied by an increased rate of descent. The helicopter struck the sea approximately two miles west of the Runway 09 threshold.
"The evidence currently available suggests that the helicopter was intact and upright when it entered the water. It then rapidly inverted and drifted northwards towards Garths Ness. The helicopter was largely broken up by repeated contact with the rocky shoreline."
With the three types of Super Puma accounting for about 70% of all North Sea helicopter traffic, union leaders said that the suspension of flights had caused major disruption for oil workers both offshore and onshore, and for oil rig operators.
Hundreds have been unable to return home while others are unable to start their shifts. CHC Helicopter and BP have begun using many more Sikorsky helicopters, while Total has hired four surface ships to ferry workers to and from its installations.
Linklater said those delays were adding to the risks of further accidents, because those workers stranded offshore beyond their normal 21-day shifts were getting more tired and stressed. There are 250 workers currently offshore who have been on duty beyond that three-week limit.
"We have a duty of care to all offshore workers both in terms of their safety and their wellbeing; we must consider the cumulative risk of the 'time out'," Linklater said. "We must avoid a further tragedy through the introduction of human-factor-based risk such as fatigue, stress and other wellbeing concerns that increase the likelihood of a high-consequence/low-frequency event."
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.
Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.
This is Hull and East Riding -- A WOMAN involved in a car crash in which the other driver died only later discovered the victim was her own sister. Rosie-Ann Stone, 20, did not even know sister Jennie was on the same stretch of road when the crash happened. Both drivers were caught in a queue of traffic behind a slow-moving vehicle and Jennie, 28, pulled out to overtake. As she passed her sister's car, it is alleged Rosie-Ann also pulled out and the two vehicles crashed. Jennie's car hit a tree and she died from head injuries. Rosie-Ann has denied a charge of causing death by careless driving. Speaking at Bridlington Magistrates' Court as Rosie-Ann made her first appearance, prosecutor Clive Jones said: "Issues of this type are always difficult to deal with, they're always tragic with no winners, only losers. "This particular case is doubly tragic because there were two cars involved and the driver of the other car was the older sister of Rosie." It happened as the pair drove back from Skipsea, where Rosie-Ann had been helping her sister get ready to move house. Roise-Ann set off first, heading back to Bridlington in her Vauxhall Astra. She joined a queue of cars on the A165 behind a slow-moving vehicle. Unknown to Rosie-Ann, her sister had dropped her son off at school and was catching up in her own car, a blue Peugeot 206. Jennie joined the queue between the two turn-offs to Fraisthorpe. It was then that the crash happened. Rosie-Ann is accused of failing to look in her mirror and pulling out to overtake when it was not safe to do so. Mr Jones said: "No doubt unknown to Rosie, her sister was also in that queue of slow-moving vehicles." The prosecution case is that as Jennie started to overtake her sister, her sister pulled out. At yesterday's hearing, chair of the bench Susan Akrill said the case could be dealt with by magistrates. However, Rosie-Ann elected to be tried by jury at Hull Crown Court and was granted unconditional bail until Thursday, September 5. She was represented by Richard Fowler, of Amber Solicitors, and was composed throughout. When asked how she would like to plead, Rosie-Anne replied "not guilty" in a calm, clear voice. She was watched from the public gallery by her parents Bob and Angie, her father often leaning his head against the rail in front of his seat as the case went on. During a break in the proceedings, Bob gave his daughter a thumbs-up and she blew him a kiss before letting out a deep sigh. The crash on Monday, February 18, was the second tragedy to hit the family in less than a year. Last summer, Jennie and Rosie-Ann's brother was shot dead in Afghanistan. Private Gregg Stone, 20, was killed in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand Province while rescuing a kidnapped Afghan policeman. It happened in June last year, three weeks after he arrived in the war zone with 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment. Gregg and his wife Samantha had been expecting their first child together.
Reported by This is 23 hours ago.
This is Somerset --
This is Grimsby -- TWO drivers were taken to hospital following a crash on Hewitt's Avenue, New Waltham last night.
This is Lincolnshire -- A woman involved in a car crash in which the other driver died only later discovered the victim was her own sister. Rosie-Ann Stone, 20, who studies at the University of Lincoln, did not even know sister Jennie was on the same stretch of road when the crash happened. Both drivers were caught in a queue of traffic behind a slow-moving vehicle and Jennie, 28, pulled out to overtake. As she passed her sister's car, it is alleged Rosie-Ann also pulled out and the two vehicles crashed. Jennie's car hit a tree and she died from head injuries. Rosie-Ann has denied a charge of causing death by careless driving. Speaking at Bridlington Magistrates' Court as Rosie-Ann made her first appearance, prosecutor Clive Jones said: "Issues of this type are always difficult to deal with, they're always tragic with no winners, only losers. "This particular case is doubly tragic because there were two cars involved and the driver of the other car was the older sister of Rosie." It happened as the pair drove back from Skipsea, where Rosie-Ann had been helping her sister get ready to move house. Roise-Ann set off first, heading back to Bridlington in her Vauxhall Astra. She joined a queue of cars on the A165 behind a slow-moving vehicle. Unknown to Rosie-Ann, her sister had dropped her son off at school and was catching up in her own car, a blue Peugeot 206. Jennie joined the queue between the two turn-offs to Fraisthorpe. It was then that the crash happened. Rosie-Ann, who studies at the University of Lincoln's Hull campus is accused of failing to look in her mirror and pulling out to overtake when it was not safe to do so. Mr Jones said: "No doubt unknown to Rosie, her sister was also in that queue of slow-moving vehicles." The prosecution case is that as Jennie started to overtake her sister, her sister pulled out. At yesterday's hearing, chair of the bench Susan Akrill said the case could be dealt with by magistrates. However, Rosie-Ann elected to be tried by jury at Hull Crown Court and was granted unconditional bail until Thursday, September 5. She was represented by Richard Fowler, of Amber Solicitors, and was composed throughout. When asked how she would like to plead, Rosie-Anne replied "not guilty" in a calm, clear voice. She was watched from the public gallery by her parents Bob and Angie, her father often leaning his head against the rail in front of his seat as the case went on. During a break in the proceedings, Bob gave his daughter a thumbs-up and she blew him a kiss before letting out a deep sigh. The crash on Monday, February 18, was the second tragedy to hit the family in less than a year. Last summer, Jennie and Rosie-Ann's brother was shot dead in Afghanistan. Private Gregg Stone, 20, was killed in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand Province while rescuing a kidnapped Afghan policeman. It happened in June last year, three weeks after he arrived in the war zone with 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment. Gregg and his wife Samantha had been expecting their first child together.
Reported by This is 15 hours ago.
This is Cornwall --
This is Lincolnshire -- UPDATE: Police said at 1.30pm that the road had now re-opened. A motorcycle and a car were involved in a crash on a main road in the Lincoln area this afternoon. It happened at 1.07pm on the main Canwick Road, which is blocked in both directions to allow emergency services to treat casualties. Lincolnshire Police said that the male rider of the motorbike was receiving treatment at the scene, but it wasn't known how serious his injuries were. The other vehicle involved was an Audi car. Police are advising motorists to avoid Canwick Hill until the vehicles are cleared. Anyone who saw the crash can call 101 quoting incident 207 of August 30 or the Lincolnshire Police collision witness hotline on 01522 558855.
Reported by This is 17 hours ago.
The industry regulator has decided to return the Super Puma fleet to service after a week's suspension. They say that the crash was not due to a fault and they are satisfied that the helicopters are safe to return to the skies.
Reported by MailOnline 5 hours ago.
It is hoped information on the helicopter's black box recorder will help establish the cause of the fatal crash.
Reported by Sky News 1 week ago.
Jack Newton, 23, pictured, sprinted to the wreckage in hysterics to find businessman David, 56, and university student Rebecca, 21, had been horrifically maimed in the light aircraft crash in Wymeswold, Leicestershire.
Reported by MailOnline 1 week ago.
Union chiefs said there was a ‘groundswell of anger’ against the helicopters, pictured, following the crash on Friday near Sumburgh, Shetland, which killed four, with many oil workers vowing never to fly in one again.
Reported by MailOnline 1 week ago.