Survivor of N.L. chopper crash tells tale of escape
By THE CANADIAN PRESS 
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Robert Decker escaped through the window of a helicopter that crashed in the North Atlantic, killing 17 people, and remained calm throughout the ordeal until he was rescued, he said Thursday.
In a statement provided by a family friend, Decker offered his first public account of how he survived last month's tragedy at sea.
"I escaped through a window after I released my seatbelt shortly after impact," said Decker, the sole survivor of the crash. "I reached the surface and managed to remain calm until I was rescued."
Decker said he didn't know how Allison Maher, the only other person who managed to get out of the helicopter, escaped. She died and her body was recovered on the surface.
"Things happened extremely fast," he said. "There was no time for panic. There were no words spoken. There was no time for suffering."
Decker said he spoke with the RCMP in an effort to help out with the Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the crash. He said he won't speak further publicly until the federal agency's final report is released, or until he's certain his comments won't hinder its probe.
Decker was released from a hospital in St. John's last week after suffering lung injuries and multiple fractures. He continues his recovery at home.
"I will continue to work really hard at resuming a normal life," he said. "I continue to appreciate your support and patience with this, and the untold kindness of the public."
Cougar Flight 491 crashed March 12, about 65 kilometres southeast of St. John's, as it was ferrying workers to two of the province's offshore oil platforms.
The Transportation Safety Board has said that titanium mounting studs that attach an oil filter bowl assembly to the main gearbox broke during the flight. The board says the pilots indicated there was a problem with the main gearbox oil pressure before the crash.
The board said it remains unclear precisely what caused the crash, but less than 10 minutes after the oil pressure loss, the transport chopper slammed at high speed into the Atlantic.