Life In The Petroleum Industry

[rgoper 0]

A "catastrophic" mechanical fault may have caused a helicopter to crash into the North Sea, according to an RAF crew involved in the search for survivors. Five people have already been confirmed dead and their bodies returned to Great Yarmouth following the crash of the Sikorsky S76 helicopter off the coast of Norfolk on Tuesday night.

While the search, particularly for the flight data recorders, continues, Great Yarmouth coastguard said on Thursday morning no further progress had been made overnight. Mr. Blair promised the investigation into the crash would "leave no stone unturned". On Wednesday at 0720 BST Great Yarmouth coastguard scaled down its search and rescue operation for the other six passengers and crew. Two vessels equipped with sonar are still searching the area, trying to find wreckage on the seabed. A diving support vessel from Aberdeen, the Mayo, is making its way to the crash site. It will help salvage the wreckage - and any bodies inside - once the helicopter has been found.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Blair paid tribute to the efforts of the emergency services, saying they had responded "as they always do, in magnificent fashion". Four inspectors from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) are at the crash scene carrying out an inquiry. Flight Lieutenant Paul Hopson of the RAF search team said: "All the indications are of a major mechanical failure." Co-pilot Flight Lieutenant Steve Murkin said: "It looked like it must have been something quite catastrophic. "It was not a controlled ditching as we had hoped."

John Balls, of Cromer lifeboat, said that some time may have been lost due to initial confusion over the number of people in the helicopter. "We just got a position and we were on our way. "Then we were recalled a couple of minutes later because they said they had picked up four persons out of the water. "But when we were rehousing they then called us back because obviously there was a muddle as there were 11 on board." Clive Mather, chairman of Shell UK, which chartered the helicopter, described it as a "terrible accident".

The helicopter was on a routine trip from Norwich Airport to North Sea rigs. It left Norwich at 1900 BST on Tuesday with nine workers and two crew, flew to the Clipper gas platform in the North Sea, and then continued to the Santa Fe Monarch gas drilling rig. It was on this leg of the journey that the helicopter crashed, two miles from the rig and 25 miles north-east of Great Yarmouth.

Keith Chanter, chief executive of Bristow, which operated the aircraft, said: "As it approached the rig, the aircraft inexplicably ditched in the sea." An RAF Sea King from Wattisham in Suffolk was scrambled and five bodies were recovered from the water within two hours. Mr. Mather said the helicopters went through "rigorous maintenance schedules" and had a "very good" safety record. The company has suspended all helicopter flights to and from the rigs in the southern North Sea. Bristow said the helicopter was fully fitted with safety equipment including flotation bags to hold it afloat long enough for people to get out. All the people on board would also have been wearing survival suits - standard practice for traveling to the rigs. The two crew on board worked for Bristow, three of the passengers were Shell staff, three worked for engineering firm Amec and two for Amec subcontractors. The remaining passenger was from Oil Field Medical Services.


this just in. i've made the same rounds a dozen times, and nothing ever happned, now, 11 gone just like that. my condolences to the family and friends of each and every one of these fine men.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[rgoper 0]

46 views........0 replies. even the "what if god smoked cannibus" post got 5 hits. c'mon guys, 11 good men lost their lives here.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[Deleted 0]

I read the post, and was struck by great pain. I really had nothing to say, your ending to your post said it all.

Godspeed to all.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

It hurts.
No two ways about it, this was supposed to be bus ride to work......
This one went down in the southern north sea over some of the most benign water I've flown across.
Early reports from the the helideck crew sugest a gearbox failure, at my best guess, around about 1000 feet, shortly after takeoff, but thats just what I'm hearing.
The s76 (we call them 'Spirits') is a workhorse for us oilfield trash....I'm pretty sure this is an isolated incident.
Condolences...

[freeflir29 0]

That blows goats. The S-76 is a fine helicopter too. Too bad that ocean is so damn cold.

[jceman 1]

Richard,

Sorry doesn't seem adequate -- it's rough when people die needlessly. Our sympathies and condolences to all.

[reprobate 0]

I'll reply. I've spent 2/3s of my working life on offshore rigs. I am a consultant "Company Man" and engineer.

We heard about that crash and inquired as to what crews were on board as many of us know someone that works in the North Sea. A review of emergency procedures was the subject of the two safety meetings for the day, especially since today is crew change day, albeit by boat.

A group that meets for religous services included their families in their prayers even though they didn't know any of them.

I like 76s and Bristoe has a good safety record, I flew on their ac's in the Gulf.

There may not have been replies because being passenger in anything is helpless and is uncomfortable to talk about. My guys don't like discussing it at all because they all know that if they go down they have little chace of survival.

I'm only a student of skydiving (and impatiently waiting for the hitch to end to get back to lesson #3)
but I have more control over my fate with a parachute than as passenger in a helicopter. If you have seen them, you know we are packed in so tight you can't move, much less get out quick.

Carl

[rgoper 0]

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I'll reply. I've spent 2/3s of my working life on offshore rigs. I am a consultant "Company Man" and engineer.

as am i, unreal, finally someone i can identify with, i'm on my 28th year in th field.

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We heard about that crash and inquired as to what crews were on board as many of us know someone that works in the North Sea. A review of emergency procedures was the subject of the two safety meetings for the day, especially since today is crew change day, albeit by boat. I like 76s and Bristoe has a good safety record, I flew on their ac's in the Gulf. There may not have been replies because being passenger in anything is helpless and is uncomfortable to talk about. My guys don't like discussing it at all because they all know that if they go down they have little chace of survival.

i know the "drill" trust me.

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I'm only a student of skydiving (and impatiently waiting for the hitch to end to get back to lesson #3)
but I have more control over my fate with a parachute than as passenger in a helicopter. If you have seen them, you know we are packed in so tight you can't move, much less get out quick.

i know all about it. it's what got me interested in sky diving to begin with. every time i'd fly out, especially over water, i always wondered, "what would it be like to jump out?" now i know! 300+ jumps, and a USPA coach rating, well 2 more "check dives" left. i originally trained at SDSL, tell Chris Miller i said "hello"

i'm broken hearted about the men that have lost their lives, that's the reason for the post to begin with. i was in the north sea the year the year the "Ocean Ranger" semi-semi-submersible went down, all souls aboard....lost. it's something that kinda makes me fearless about sky diving, is at least i've got some control over myself, if i have to bail. you take care out there, keep you bow into the waves.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[flyhi 24]

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Too bad that ocean is so damn cold.

Richard, That is an excellent point. What do people wear on the way to the rig? Do they wear wet or dry suits? How often do they drill? Have you ever seen the 9D5 dunker? Every naval aviator I have seen or met who has flown a helo that ended up in the water credits it with saving his life. Hopefully the companies involved aren't of the belief that, "Safety Is Job One, Unless It Costs Too Much."

I am saddened for the loss.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[reprobate 0]

You asked Richard but I'll butt inIn more rigorously regulated areas like Norwegian or UK North Sea where there is also very cold water invloved passengers wear exposeure suits all the time as well as inflatable life vest. In the GOM street clothes only w/vest, these are the "Mae West" type w/CO2 inflation.
In addition, there are survival schools, one of the most used being the McMillian Tech. school at Lafayette, LA which teaches water jumping (w/o parachute - from the rig), life raft use and helio evacuation drills. Some of these are on a par with anything the military has. One I attended in UK has a slide where you are strapped in the seat, dropped into a pool and inverted. Then you get out. When I went to McM she (we refer to her as "that bitch") put blacked out welding goggles on us and said, "Now try it".
The problem is that helicopters tend to come apart when they hit the water. Because of the number of passengers time is also a problem. The seating is not your private plane type thing, more in line with what is found in the military. A charter Bell 412 will have seats for 6, 8 at the most, we carry 12.

Everyone has not attended these courses. Turnover is very high among entry level positions and believe it or not, profit margins with the contractors are so slim that it is usually the longer time empoyees that go. In England, everyone must attend before they go offshore. That is the ideal, that is also one reason they don't drive SUVs.

3 more days, 3 more and I can go for a ride with my instructor.

Carl

[reprobate 0]

Kinda got carried away here, buttin' in like that. I thought, Ho Boy, I don't know beans about skydiving but I just finished water survival training in April and it's still fresh.

Carl

[bbarnhouse 0]

My condolences to the family and friends.

[rgoper 0]

no problem Carl, i've been jumping! and you've been floating on the "rock" hope you get some "breeze on the knees" before long! be safe, take care.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"