Puma helicopter model involved in ditching 'grounded until February' | Aberdeen & North | News | STV
This is on STVs website today, nothing we dont know but its now been published by them with interview
The model of Super Puma helicopter which was forced to ditch into the North Sea last month is not expected to fly again until February.
A problem in the aircraft's gearbox caused the CHC-owned helicopter to ditch while carrying an oil crew from Aberdeen to a rig 86 miles north-west of Shetland when it ditched at around 3.30pm on October 22.
The 17 passengers and two crew were taken off their liferaft by a rescue craft launched from the Nord Nightingale vessel, which was close to the scene.
A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that a problem with the main gearbox lubrication system caused the pilots to take action.
Manufacturers Eurocopter said safety is its number one priority and the company apologised for the disruption caused to the oil industry.
The latest ditching, which involved and EC225 Super Puma, was the fourth serious helicopter incident in three years.
In May, all 14 passengers and crew members on a Super Puma helicopter were rescued after it ditched about 30 miles off the coast of Aberdeen. It was on a scheduled flight from Aberdeen Airport to a platform in the North Sea.
On April 1 2009, 16 people died when a Super Puma plunged into the sea off the Aberdeenshire coast. The gearbox of the Bond-operated helicopter failed while returning from the BP Miller platform.
The tragedy happened about six weeks after another Bond Super Puma with 18 people on board ditched in the North Sea as it approached a production platform owned by BP. Everyone survived the incident.