Originally Posted by
MechEngr
I preferred not to again get details of the event where the passengers were drowned like rats because the helicopter company failed to provide proper flotation for operating over water and just assumed the inflation system would work. Not even 30 seconds of searching.
The floats were not the issue. Yes, one inflated more slowly than the other so the helicopter rolled inverted as a result, but this is quite common for a power-off ditching (helicopters rolling inverted) - there is a reason HUET required escaping an inverted helicopter. The fundamental issue was the policy of tethering passengers with anchor points behind their backs, without providing the training or the means to quickly release the tether and evacuate the aircraft in an emergency.