Wessex crash 2001?

[PlasticCabDriver]

While reading the BBC coverage (here: BBC NEWS | Scotland | North East/N Isles | Human cost of the North Sea boom (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7978802.stm)) of yesterdays tragedy off Aberdeen, I noticed this little snippet about halfway down:

Thirteen men died when a twin-engined Wessex helicopter crashed into the North Sea off the Norfolk coast in August 2001.

I can find no reference to it anywhere, I have searched the AAIB archives, Googled it etc but nothing. 13 died in a Wessex off Bacton in 1981, but that is referenced a few paras earlier.

Anyone give me any clues, or is it simply the usual high standard of reporting?

Ta

PCD

[PoloJamie]

I noticed it too, and did the same thing - leading to the same conclusion as you. The BBC's reporters obviously don't do their homework properly.

G-ASWI North Sea ditching - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-ASWI_North_Sea_ditching) < I did come across this Wikipedia article though.

Am I correct in thinking that the Wessex had been withdrawn from North Sea operations long before 2001?

Jamie

[widgeon]

http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/misc/helicoptersafety.pdf

Not noted in this report , was the wessex still in service in 2001 ?

Detailed Occurrence Results (http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Accident_Details.asp?Oc=01/451)

from griffin database , only wessex accident in world in 2001.

[Tail-take-off]

Bristow was the only civil operator of the Wessex in the UK. They withdrew their Wessex 60s from service following the crash of G-ASWI in 1981.

[TipCap]

I think the Beeb got its dates wrong - again.

Yes it was in 1981 and sadly involved a great and experienced pilot, Ben Breach (RIP). Ben survived a particular nasty crash from the hover at an airfield in Wales and got badly burnt. However, he recovered well enough to fly again

If my memory serves me well (which it doesn't do too well these days), even though an open verdict was recorded, it was believed that it might have been a failure of the connecting shaft between the engines and the gearbox which incapacitated the pilot. It was this incident which finally led Bristow to withdraw the Wessex 60 from service. I have many hours on G-ASWI and I was still flying the Wessex 60, offshore, on the construction of the Claymore Platform in 1977

TC

[Fareastdriver]

I took a 76 down to Yarmouth to help out after Wessex crash. IIRC they found the wreckage but it was being covered in drifting sand and the recovery of the airframe was regarded as too dangerous. Ben's remains was not in the aircraft and were considered lost. I flew a trip with the relatives and and a padre where we deposited a wreath on the crash site as a form of rememberance. His body was found by a fishing vessel the next day.

[widgeon]

westland wessex - Helicopter Database (http://www.helis.com/database/model/116/)

see wa462 g-atca written off 9-sep-1972

[DiverScout]

My dad was one of those killed in the Bacton crash, and I'm the author of the Wikipedia article on it. Nice to see that the crash has not been forgotten. You're right that the Wessex went out of service after that crash.

If I remember rightly Ben was not supposed to be captain of that flight. There were a lot of "odd" factors involving the failure to recover the airframe and the inquiry. Maybe one day the truth will come out...:rolleyes:

In order to improve the article, could anyone help with the following?

I recall reading that G-ASWI was invovled in a tail strike shortly before moving down from Scotland. Does anyone know whether this was the case or not? Sadly I can no longer find the web page about it!

There was a crime drama series episode based on this crash which came out after the investigation had been closed. They changed the situation slightly to allow for the "missing man" to be recovered alive. Can anyone remember which series and episode it was?

Thanks.

[bluesafari]

The series I believe you are talking about was something to do with a lady patholist, I can't bring her name or the series to mind (senior moment ! ), but I do remember it was very well done and that particular episode was used as an early human factors lesson, and was used in a number of operators training, the obvious theatricals aside.

[Oldlae]

Westland believe that Ben flew into the sea, BHL have always thought otherwise after their experiences in Nigeria.
As I understand it, the recovery crew had the opportunity to either recover the MGB or the separated fuselage, the MGB was recovered, I remember seeing it at Redhill. The AAIB inspected it and could find nothing wrong with it, when the recovery team then went to find the fuselage to inspect it, it had disappeared under a sandbank. I am in contact with a member of the recovery team, a BHL engineer whom I am sure will confirm my views.

[helibaron]

It was an episode of one of the early series of Silent Witness. I have been trying to find a copy of this for some time but it no longer shows on the BBC list of episodes - litigation involved???

If anyone has a copy I would like to use it as part of Human Factors training in my company.

Please let me know if you can help, I will pay any expenses incurred.

[WhirlwindIII]

I believe the problem with the Nigerian Wessex 60 and that off Yarmouth was the drive shaft between the engines and transmission were throwing balance weights, thus whirling the shaft and wiping out control tubes located in the corners of the box within which that shaft resided.

[DiverScout]

Thanks for the pointer. I've managed to locate a copy of what I now know was Silent Witness "Gone Tomorrow" on Amazon.

My family had a few police connections, so we heard a few things at the time that never went public. Having read the accident report, I agree with BHL that it is very hard to believe that Ben would have made the suggested pilot error.

I've recently come on one of the salvage divers who took the photos that were lost before the inquest. If anyone has anything that they could share on of off the record I'd appreciate it as this has haunted my life for far too long. pm me for my email if you'd prefer to do this off forum.

[Oldlae]

DiverScout, check your PM's.