2002 Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S-76A crash
Sikorsky S-76A | |
Operator | Bristow Helicopters |
---|---|
Registration | G-BJVX |
Flight origin | Gas production platform Clipper, Sole Pitt gas field |
Destination | Drilling rig Global Santa Fe Monarch, Leman gas field |
Passengers | 9 |
Crew | 2 |
Fatalities | 11 |
Injuries | 0 |
Survivors | 0 |
G-BJVX, a
Investigators discovered the accident was caused by the failure of a main rotor blade.
Accident
The 22-year-old helicopter was flying at an altitude of about 320 ft (98 m) when workers on the Global Santa Fe Monarch heard "a loud bang". No witnesses were watching the aircraft at the time, but some saw it dive steeply into the sea. A witness also reported seeing the helicopter's rotor head with rotor blades attached falling into the sea after the body of the helicopter had impacted.
The accident caused the death of all those on board (two crew members and nine
Search and rescue
The rig Standby Vessel, Putford Achilles, which was about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from the location, immediately launched its two fast rescue craft, which recovered four bodies and some floating debris. The search was continued, resulting in the recovery of another body. Great Yarmouth Coastguard launched rescue helicopters and other vessels arrived on the scene that night, but no survivors or further bodies were recovered from the surface of the sea.
An underwater search for the six missing bodies began on 17 July, the debris field was located in 40 m (130 ft) of water by a
Investigation
The wreckage, which included the helicopter's
Cause
The audio recordings from the
Frequency spectrum analysis of the audio recordings indicated an increase in the amplitude of frequencies associated with main rotor vibration towards the end of the recording. The recording ended abruptly with three unusual, probably structure-borne, sounds.
Wreckage analysis showed that, while three of the main rotor blades exhibited only superficial damage, the fourth was fractured at a position approximately 76.75 in (1,949 mm) from the blade root, while the main rotor gearbox's casing was also fractured. Neither the gearbox nor the rotor head could be recovered. The rotor blade, which had been manufactured in March 1981, had been struck by lightning in 1999, when it was repaired by the manufacturer and returned to service.
After the accident, the AAIB and the helicopter's manufacturer,
Aftermath
Shell suspended North Sea helicopter flights by the operator for six weeks after the accident until 3 September 2002.[2]
The inquest into the deaths opened on 31 October at the
Earlier, in late 2003, the company Bristow had agreed to a compensation deal for five children, whose fathers were killed in the crash.[3]
The names of the deceased are engraved on a glass porch in
In 2007, a
See also
- 1983 British Airways Sikorsky S-61 crash
- Aviation accidents and incidents
- Aviation safety
Notes
- ^ "Aircraft Accident Report 1/2005 - Sikorsky S-76A+, G-BJVX, 16 July 2002". www.gov.uk. Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ "Rig flights resume after fatal crash". BBC News. 3 September 2002.
- ^ "Rig flight crash 'compensation'". BBC News. 29 October 2003.
- ^ "Police sued over dead body stress". BBC News. 17 August 2007.
References
- "S3/2002 - Sikorsky S76 (Modified), G-BJVX: Air Accidents Investigation Branch Aircraft Accident Report No: 1/ 2005 (EW/C2002/07/04)". Air Accidents Investigation Branch. 2005.
- "History of North Sea crashes". BBC News. 17 July 2002.
- "Crash helicopter was vibrating". Eastern Daily Press. 1 November 2005. Archived from the original on 19 March 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
- "Helicopter deaths 'an accident'". BBC News. 2 November 2005.
- "Service for helicopter crash dead". BBC News. 16 July 2008.