Hi Special 25, assuming your post is correct that is good news from the helicopters point of view. Lets hope the investigation does not centre too much on blaming the crew and looks a little more closely at the procedures involved especially the use, or otherwsie, of the automatics an aspect of NS operations which I believe is not properly mandated for.
A good start would be some absolute minimum altitudes and speeds over the sea, at night, that cannot be breached until the crew "Call the Ball" (The rugby ball that is...or fat egg)...being the properly formed shape of the helideck lights confirmed by both crew before any further descent is initiated.
This simple provision would at least provide crews with a bit of air above the sea, and maintain the airspeed when manouvring in the initial stages of an approach.
There extreme optical illusions that we see at night in some conditions leading us to think at times the platform, at distance, can appear to be up amongst the stars.
Personally I would like to see the end of "visual manouvring" at night with all approaches conforming to the ARA template, with aboslute minimum altitudes and airspeeds applied until the very latter stages when "The Ball" is called - even when shuttling!! It takes a little more time but in my view is far safer.
The lack of these procedures and restrictions may ultimatley have led to the incident we have seen. I just hope that the Authority and Inverstigators realise that once a crew has elected to manouvre visually at night, which we are currently allowed to do, the first hole in the swiss cheese has already aligned itself!!
Ultimatley the crew may not be at fault at all and that the lack of adequate procedures, especially the interface with mandated automatics, should be blamed for these types of incident!!
I wish all involved the very best of luck and hope for honest and sound judegment on behalf of the investigators.