Over on the Bristow Thread
Industry Insider has been looking for S61's carrying various oil company titles. Albeit a Wessex this one bears her client's shield .. in this case Amoco. Then, on the previous page, (post 161) we had the RAF Wessex which wore Mobil Oil's logo in place of their squadron badge during Farnborough '64!
Westland Wessex Mk60 at Paris Le Bourget in the late 60's (Photo: Robert Roggeman)
Of course ASWI can only evoke sad memories for those who knew her and it is now 30 years since that fateful day in August when she met her demise:
"The Westland Wessex Mark 60 G-ASWI left North Denes airfield at 13:47 on Friday 13 August 1981 on a routine passenger and freight flight between rigs on the Leman and Indefatigable gas fields. The crew consisted of a pilot and a cabin attendant.
At 15:41, returning from the Leman field to the landing site at Bacton, the commander, Ben Breach, sent a distress message reporting that he was ditching due to engine failure. Three seconds later the aircraft was lost from radar. A Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Westland Sea King departed RAF Coltishall at 15:47, sighting floating wreckage from G-ASWI at 15:57. There were no survivors.
Efforts to recover the wreck were delayed, meaning that the wreck was beyond recovery by the time salvage operations started. There was insufficient evidence to explain either the loss of power or loss of control that caused the aircraft to crash. The inquest into the deaths of those on board recorded an open verdict."
Terribly sad.
RIP