A helicopter with two crew and two passengers disappeared on the afternoon of Friday in the region of the Campos Basin in Rio de Janeiro. According to the FAB (Brazilian Air Force), the helicopter took off at 17:15 of the P-65 Petrobras, with the direction of Macaé. However, declared an emergency to the control tower of Macaé and made a forced landing in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
The aircraft model AW-139 Augusta, prefix PR-SEK, is the Senior Taxi Aereo. According to the NF-Sindipetro (Union Oil of North Fluminense), a passenger aboard the helicopter is an employee of another company and Brasiltest Engevix.
The union says that the crew spoke to aa command tower of the airport at 16h49 asking for authorization for an emergency landing and made no further contact. He also says that rescue boats were contracted by Petrobras way there, but had difficulties to reach due to stormy seas.
FAB mobilized a plane and a helicopter to carry out searches. A ship and a Navy helicopter also assist in the operation.
According to Petrobras, the helicopter has requested authorization for an emergency landing at the airport in Macae, but not arrived.
The company says that triggered the Emergency Plan in the Campos Basin and also went searching for the boats.
The search for the helicopter was closed on Friday and should be resumed tomorrow.
The oil-workers union said that "the disappearance of the aircraft comes amid a series of complaints made by the board of Sindipetro-NF, which for years has been warning about the direction of Petrobras air chaos that affects workers in the Campos Basin."
The organization advocates building a new airport in the field to meet the growing demand on site.
In response to the union, Petrobras said it "adopts strict security standards and requires that companies that serve it, including the air transport industry."
According to a spokesperson for Petrobras, "the security of air transportation service company is deemed to be the world's best offshore operations." The company added that it operates, since last year, also flights from the new airport in Cabo Frio, and Macaé and Farol de São Tomé and that its helicopter fleet has an average age of three years.