imabell
19th Nov 2006, 23:53
a couple of shots of the recovery of a machine that went into the sea 200 metres from a rig off the coast of west malaysia. full pax they survived, pilot did not.
http://www.bluetonguehelicopters.com.au/pprune/p1.jpg
http://www.bluetonguehelicopters.com.au/pprune/p2.jpg
There is no other way to ask, What Happened?
Garfs
20th Nov 2006, 20:39
There is no other way to ask, What Happened?
PILOT MISSING, THREE INJURED AS OIL-RIG COPTER CRASH-LANDS AT SEA
(Bernama The Malaysian National News Agency Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) from BERNAMA, The Malaysian National News Agency KUALA TERENGGANU, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The pilot of a Super Puma helicopter is missing and three people were injured after the aircraft carrying two crew and 19 oil rig workers crash-landed during a thunderstorm and strong winds in the South China Sea, about 103 nautical miles off Dungun, Terengganu, early today
The injured as well as the others, including the co-pilot, have been rescued, said state police chief SAC I Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani
He said that in the incident, which happened at 11:40 am, the helicopter is believed to have experienced technical problems and crash-landed about 200 metres short of its destination, Exxon Mobil's Tapis B platform
"The colleagues of the workers on the platform realised what had happened and immediately launched a rescue operation. So far, 20 people, including the co-pilot, are reported safe while the helicopter pilot is missing," he said
The three injured people were brought to the Kuala Terengganu Hospital at 3:25 pm. They were airlifted by helicopter from the oil platform to the Sultan Mahmud Airport. The others were brought at about 5:20 pm
Acryl said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency was conducting a search for the pilot. He said the helicopter had taken off from Kertih Airport at about 10:40 am
In a statement issued in Kuala Lumpur, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc. said the helicopter, chartered from MHS Aviation Bhd, went down while approaching the Tapis B platform, located 240km off the coast of Terengganu
The company said 20 people on board have been rescued and were being treated, some on Tapis B platform and some at Kuala Terengganu Hospital
"One remaining person is unaccounted for, and search and rescue operations are continuing using all available resources," ExxonMobil said, without identifying the missing person
The company said it was still premature to release their names, adding that dedicated communication lines at 03-2380-3677/3679/3675/3635 have been set up to respond to queries from family members
One of the workers, Muhamad Safin Abdul Rahim, in his 20s, told reporters at the Kuala Terengganu Hospital that the helicopter crash-landed during a thunderstorm and strong winds
He said he believed that the pilot tried to avoid crashing into the oil platform
"It all happened so suddenly. I did not know what was going on. But the weather at that time was really bad with strong winds and lightning and thunder," he said
Muhamad Safin, who is from Kemaman, did not seem to have been injured
He said the helicopter was ferrying workers, including Malaysians from Sabah and Sarawak as well as Filipino nationals
A check by Bernama at the hospital revealed that the 20 rescued people had been brought there, including the co-pilot identified as Ismail Bakar, 43
The three people said to have been injured were brought to the hospital on stretchers, and one person was seen to have a bandage over one eye
A second van brought six more people at about 5:20 pm
Copyright 2006 Bernama
Blackhawk9
20th Nov 2006, 22:54
Heard a rumour it may have hit the rig doing a missed approach.
Why were they near the rig if the weather was so bad, should have turned around and gone home.
This is the fouth big twin lost by MHS in approx 2 years 2xS-61's ,the AS332L1 with t/r problem now this L2 what will the oil companies be thinking!
SayItIsntSo
20th Nov 2006, 23:39
This has been discussed somewhat in a previous thread.
From sources close to the investigation I am led to believe that ‘loss of situational awareness’ followed by ‘controlled flight into to terrain’ are likely to be high on the findings.
I am sure that all this is just reinforcing what the oil companies already know. Off-shore oil support is a hazardous business!