I am also intrigued by the statement that all the occupants successfully got out of the aircraft and were rescued within an hour, but the copilot and 2 passengers "drowned to death".
The contact with the sea was rather hard but the ditching took place without any problem. At that time the swell was approximately 2 meters and the wind resistance was approximately 90° right of the helicopter. Consequently after ditching, the helicopter capsized onto its left side. At that moment the roof windows were opened and water poured into the cockpit. The crew and passengers opened some jettison doors and got out within a few minutes by helping each other. All the life jackets and two life rafts were inflated and the PF managed to help his co-pilot and passengers. The person on the FSO threw life buoys and positioned a ladder. Approximately 30 minutes later, the field standby boat assigned to Yetagun field, which was
localised between FSO and the platform, arrived and continued the rescue
operations. After approximately 60 minutes, all crew and passengers were onboard. Co-pilot and two passengers drowned to death and other two passengers were seriously injured.
The lack of detail in this account leaves me wondering:
1. Whether the survivors actually managed to board the life rafts.
2. Why no rescue boat was launched from the FSO.
3. How did the deceased come to drown?
There are surely lessons for everyone in the oil and gas industry to be learned here.