Heli ditch North Sea G-REDL: NOT condolences
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I agree that the report was thoughtful and accurate. The Procurator Fiscal worded his conclusions very carefully and I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the media interpreted his conclusion that:
It is possible that if the following failures by Bond had not occurred the accident might have been avoided:
as a direct causal link between those omissions and the accident. This does no-one any favours.
It is possible that if the following failures by Bond had not occurred the accident might have been avoided:
as a direct causal link between those omissions and the accident. This does no-one any favours.
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Mel Effluent
Agreed. The FAI is very circumspect. IF these actions had been taken, or taken differently, and IF a whole nother set of holes had lined up in the Swiss cheese, then its is POSSIBLE (not certain or even probable) that these actions MIGHT (not would) have produced a different outcome.
Thats a long way from the press headlines 'accident could have been prevented'.
The media reporting is, of course, intended to hound the companies and managements involved - and to prolong the story.
But its single greatest effect is to prolong the agony for the bereaved families.
If there is one thing the FAI makes plain it is that there is no single action, individual or business upon which this tragedy can be blamed. For the media, or ambulance-chasing lawyers, or anyone else to try to tell the families otherwise is to heap new cruelty on their enduring suffering.
And before anyone leaps to another wrong conclusion, I have no professional connection to the manufacturer, operator or other such interested party. My profesional involvement these days is all with people who fly as pax on these aircraft.
The offshore, aviation and wider Scottish comunities responded with great dignity to the loss of 85N. It would be best for everyone if we accept the Sherrif Principal's findings that 'there is no smoking gun' with more of that same dignity. And then go back to the continuing, meticulous, unexciting business - away from the media spotlight - of making offshore helicopter operations ever safer
Agreed. The FAI is very circumspect. IF these actions had been taken, or taken differently, and IF a whole nother set of holes had lined up in the Swiss cheese, then its is POSSIBLE (not certain or even probable) that these actions MIGHT (not would) have produced a different outcome.
Thats a long way from the press headlines 'accident could have been prevented'.
The media reporting is, of course, intended to hound the companies and managements involved - and to prolong the story.
But its single greatest effect is to prolong the agony for the bereaved families.
If there is one thing the FAI makes plain it is that there is no single action, individual or business upon which this tragedy can be blamed. For the media, or ambulance-chasing lawyers, or anyone else to try to tell the families otherwise is to heap new cruelty on their enduring suffering.
And before anyone leaps to another wrong conclusion, I have no professional connection to the manufacturer, operator or other such interested party. My profesional involvement these days is all with people who fly as pax on these aircraft.
The offshore, aviation and wider Scottish comunities responded with great dignity to the loss of 85N. It would be best for everyone if we accept the Sherrif Principal's findings that 'there is no smoking gun' with more of that same dignity. And then go back to the continuing, meticulous, unexciting business - away from the media spotlight - of making offshore helicopter operations ever safer
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Coroner comments on the Bond Super Puma crash
A helicopter crash which killed its co-pilot and 15 other men could have been prevented, an inquest has found.
Richard Menzies, 24, from Droitwich Spa, was on board the Bond Super Puma when it crashed into the North Sea, killing all those on board.
Worcestershire Coroner Geraint Williams said the April 2009 crash, off Peterhead, came after a "catastrophic" gearbox failure.
He echoed an earlier inquiry which found proper checks were not performed.
'Significant fault'
Returning a narrative verdict, Mr Williams identified "a number of failures" in the helicopter's maintenance programme.
Full verdict below.
BBC News - Super Puma co-pilot death 'preventable', says coroner
Richard Menzies, 24, from Droitwich Spa, was on board the Bond Super Puma when it crashed into the North Sea, killing all those on board.
Worcestershire Coroner Geraint Williams said the April 2009 crash, off Peterhead, came after a "catastrophic" gearbox failure.
He echoed an earlier inquiry which found proper checks were not performed.
'Significant fault'
Returning a narrative verdict, Mr Williams identified "a number of failures" in the helicopter's maintenance programme.
Full verdict below.
BBC News - Super Puma co-pilot death 'preventable', says coroner
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The evidence did not state that there is greater proportional risk from gearboxes in a multi engined helicopter.
Jarvis:
During the course of his evidence, I asked Mr Jarvis if he thought there was something inherently more dangerous in helicopters compared to other aircraft. He replied as follows[48]:
"It's a function of the design of helicopters, my Lord, in that rotory wing aircraft, helicopters, essentially have a critical load path through the gearbox to the rotor. Fixed wing aircraft can have - fixed wing aircraft fly by means of structure which can be made inherently fail-safe. Helicopters fly by means of a mechanism which is a mechanical unit and is thereby potentially more prone to failure and that really is the issue between fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, my Lord. One flies by means of a mechanism; the other flies by means of its structure and that gives you different levels of achievability in terms of safety and redundancy."
(my underline, gotta love the statement: helicopters fly by means of a mechanism. (anyway helicopters use wings in tension whereas aeroplanes use wings in sheer.))
So:
Section 6(1)(d) - The defects, if any, in any system of working which contributed to the deaths or the accident resulting in the deaths
On the evidence, no such defects exist.
... but then they didn't consider that where a highly complex gearbox is required there is an increased inherent risk.
That's how many gearbox fatals in twins now? (Less engine fatals more 'other systems' fatals instead - obvious no?)
Blackadder: The proportion of mechanical failures is too high!
Baldrick: Let's increase the pilot-error rate then !
Jarvis:
During the course of his evidence, I asked Mr Jarvis if he thought there was something inherently more dangerous in helicopters compared to other aircraft. He replied as follows[48]:
"It's a function of the design of helicopters, my Lord, in that rotory wing aircraft, helicopters, essentially have a critical load path through the gearbox to the rotor. Fixed wing aircraft can have - fixed wing aircraft fly by means of structure which can be made inherently fail-safe. Helicopters fly by means of a mechanism which is a mechanical unit and is thereby potentially more prone to failure and that really is the issue between fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, my Lord. One flies by means of a mechanism; the other flies by means of its structure and that gives you different levels of achievability in terms of safety and redundancy."
(my underline, gotta love the statement: helicopters fly by means of a mechanism. (anyway helicopters use wings in tension whereas aeroplanes use wings in sheer.))
So:
Section 6(1)(d) - The defects, if any, in any system of working which contributed to the deaths or the accident resulting in the deaths
On the evidence, no such defects exist.
... but then they didn't consider that where a highly complex gearbox is required there is an increased inherent risk.
That's how many gearbox fatals in twins now? (Less engine fatals more 'other systems' fatals instead - obvious no?)
Blackadder: The proportion of mechanical failures is too high!
Baldrick: Let's increase the pilot-error rate then !
Mmmm, trying to work out how to reply without an instant ban..
GFY isn't really close enough...
GFY isn't really close enough...
