Question for the offshore experts
EHEST (European Helicopter Safety Team) have published an excellent and thought-provoking document called 'Automation and Flight Path Management'. It begins with an example of how autopilot mismanagement can lead to near disaster. It involved an unknown helicopter type in what I assume was a night take off from an offshore platform in what was clearly night IMC.
I did my annual CRM refresher this week and the topic for discussion was the AW139 crash in Norfolk. This also involved a night IMC take off attempt which we know ended in disaster. One issue discussed was the Flight Manual requirement to have an IAS of at least 50 knots before entering IMC (Vmini = 50kts).
This rather begs the question how is it possible to operate offshore at night when many departures pitch you into instant blackness (in pouring rain?) the second you leave the glare of the platform lighting. After all these years this is the first time this anomaly has occurred to me. How do we square this particular circle?
G