PH Bell 212 air-test accident & Warri hijack
At Eket we used to fly a regular 'bus' run to the Shell IA in PH. I recall seeing the sad outcome of that accident parked in the hangar with a tape 'fence' around it - scary to see a cracked 'I' beam pushed up through the cabin floor!
SASless - As another product of the Redhill FTS I recall that we were all being painted with the same 'tar brush' as S.J. by the other pilots following that accident. This accident lead to the Company Policy on 'Indisciplined Flying'. The pilot, a very senior company pilot and not trained by the FTS, who was sacked over the famous PH 'Santa Claus' event had previously had a warning for a similar event. I was based in Redhill at the time when he was invited in for an interview without tea & biscuits, and he asked for a fellow colleague to sit in on that interview.
The 'Indisciplined Flying' policy also led to the sacking of one of your fellow countrymen when he beat up the Mobil beach compound at Eket. If you recall the previous Mobil manager used to request a helicopter to fly-by on a Sunday afternoon to entertain his guests, but that Manager had been replaced before the above event. I readily admit doing at least one wing-over (not a torque turn and without passengers on-board) at that beach compound before the 'Indisciplined Flying' policy, and other pilots including non-FTS products did something similar. Brightened up life in Eket at the time.
With regard to the Warri hijacking and subsequent stay 'up country' I recall a slight variation to your version. I was in Warri doing a standards visit at the time of the hostage negotiations, and was back in Redhill when the 2 pilots had been released and flown out of country. After company medical checks the Company Doctor advised that they did not return to work in Nigeria, so the company looked at relocating them. The British pilot having a CAA licence could easily be relocated to another 212 operation worldwide (cannot remember where), however the American pilot did not have a CAA licence so his only option was Trinidad, thus it was a drop in pay or no job.
Last edited by C.C.C.; 25th February 2013 at 15:08.