Today's shock news came in an announcement from the commissioner that no one had bother to mention a previous fatal helicopter accident off Newfoundland, almost exactly 24 years to the day earlier.
The parties, which included Sikorsky, who has remained silent throught the inquiry and contributed no data, analysis or suggestions on the subject of improving offshore safety, also failed to mention that one week after that fatal accident in Newfoundland in 1985 there was a ditching of an S-61 off Halifax after a total MGB oil loss. Fortunately all survived.
On March 20, 1985, an Okanagan Heliocpters S-61N (C-GOKZ) ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off of Owl's Head, Nova Scotia. The aircraft was enroute from the MODU Sedco 709 offshore Nova Scotia to the Halifax International Airport(YHZ)when it suffered total loss of transmission fluid from the Main Gear Box. There were 15 passengers and 2 crew on board. There were no injuries during the ditching, however several passengers suffered from varying degrees of hypothermia.
Rather pertinent?!
I've also heard suggestions of an AS332 ditching off the Atlantic coast of Canada in the 1980s.
Does any one know more details on either?