@industry insider
The S-76 series has 6m + flight hours and almost 40 years of operations. It has been a reliable helicopter overall. It is gradually becoming commercially obsolete now, it happens with all aircraft.
ASN Wikibase accident and serious occurrence data base #178588
28-JUL-1978
Sikorsky S-76A N763SA Sikorsky Aircraft 0 near West Palm Beach, FL
21-MAR-1980
Sikorsky S-76A PT-HKB VOTEC 14 off Macaé, RJ
03-SEP-1980
Sikorsky S-76A N766AL Air Logistics 0 near Patterson, LA
12-MAR-1981
Sikorsky S-76A G-BGXY Bristow Helicopters 4 South Kirkton, Westhill, Aberdeenshire
31-MAR-1981
Sikorsky S-76A N765AL Air Logistics 0 Conroe, TX
29-SEP-1981
Sikorsky S-76A PT-HKC VOTEC 0 Macaé, RJ
30-APR-1982
Sikorsky S-76A C-GIMF Okanagan Helicopters 13 Gulf of Thailand
14-SEP-1983
Sikorsky S-76A N521AC Amway Corp 0 Lake Michigan
07-NOV-1983
Sikorsky S-76A PT-HKD VOTEC 0 off Macaé, RJ
08-NOV-1983
Sikorsky S-76A TF-RAN Icelandic Coast Guard 4 Western Fjords
13-NOV-1983
Sikorsky S-76A N4252S Houston Helicopters off Singapore
05-MAR-1984
Sikorsky S-76A N15479 private 0 Spartanburg, SC
01-MAY-1984
Sikorsky S-76A N763AL Air Logistics 0 High Island BLK595, TX
11-AUG-1984
Sikorsky S-76A N63WW Capital Equipment Associates 1 Fort Dix, NJ
22-SEP-1984
Sikorsky S-76A N79K private 0 near Unionville, PA
01-NOV-1984
Sikorsky S-76A N27422 Petroleum Helicopters (PHI) 5 off Hainan Island
19-FEB-1985
Sikorsky S-76A N31223 Petroleum Helicopters (PHI) 0 Houma, LA
11-JUN-1985
Sikorsky S-76A N176FJ Raco Helicopters 1 Belmar, NJ
28-JUN-1985
Sikorsky S-76A N5054Y Air Logistics 0 Eugene Island
05-JAN-1986
Sikorsky S-76A N7612L Air Logistics 3 near Houma, LA
06-JUN-1986
Sikorsky S-76B N5AZ United Technologies 4 Sutton, MA
04-FEB-1987
Sikorsky S-76A N767AL Air Logistics 2 Angleton, TX
30-MAY-1987
Sikorsky S-76 (AUH-76) 208 Philippine Air Force 4 Manila Bay
23-JUN-1988
Sikorsky S-76A N54C 0 Moundsville, WV
07-AUG-1988
Sikorsky S-76 N69WW private 0 Teterboro, NJ
22-FEB-1989
Sikorsky S-76A N767SA 0 Washington, PA
01-DEC-1989
Sikorsky S-76 (AUH-76) 209 Philippine Air Force 0 Sangley Point AB, Cavite City
12-MAY-1990
Sikorsky S-76 (AUH-76) 203 Philippine Air Force 9 Zamboanga
01-AUG-1990
Sikorsky S-76A+ JA9943 Aero Asahi 2 Hakone
22-AUG-1990
Sikorsky S-76 (AUH-76) 204 Philippine Air Force 1
17-JUN-1991
Sikorsky S-76A N5418N Petroleum Helicopters (PHI) 0 Gulf of Mexico
18-APR-1992
Sikorsky S-76A+ G-BOND Bond Helicopters 0+1 North Sea
07-AUG-1992
Sikorsky S-76A N50KY Kentucky State Government 0 Graefenburg, KY
06-FEB-1993
Sikorsky S-76A+ I-EAIR Eliair 4 Venezia-Tessera (VCE)
14-JUN-1993
Sikorsky S-76B HL9245 Sunkyung Engineering 7 near Seoul
23-APR-1994
Sikorsky S-76A PK-PUD Pelita Air Service 0 Udang Field, off Matak Island, Riau
08-NOV-1994
Sikorsky S-76A N2620 Mobil Administrative Services (MASCI) 1 off Cameron, LA
24-JUL-1995
Sikorsky S-76A VR-BQD private 0 Aspropirgos
09-APR-1996
Sikorsky S-76A B-7302 Zhuhai Helicopter 2 Dawanshan Island
12-DEC-1996
Sikorsky S-76B G-HAUG Norbrook Industries 3 2 mls SE of Omeath, Co. Louth
03-APR-1997
Sikorsky S-76B-7 2310 Royal Thai Navy 0 Bangkok NAS
22-SEP-1997
Sikorsky S-76A+ N517AL Air Logistics 0 Patterson, LA
03-OCT-1997
Sikorsky S-76A B-7301 Zhuhai Helicopter 7 off Wenzhou
20-DEC-1997
Sikorsky S-76B PH-KHB KLM/Era Helicopters 1 North Sea
- -1997
Sikorsky S-76B HL9249 Dong Ah Construction
20-FEB-1998
Sikorsky S-76C JA6733/MH733 Japan Coast Guard 3 37 km off Cape Esan, Kameda
18-MAR-1998
Sikorsky S-76A B-7306 Zhuhai Helicopter 2 near Zhuhai
28-MAR-1998
Sikorsky S-76A C-GMQE 0 Victoria, BC
24-JUN-1998
Sikorsky S-76A+ ZS-RIJ Court Helicopters 0 off Luanda
04-SEP-1998
Sikorsky S-76B I-LXCA Luxottica spa 0 near Padova
03-APR-1999
Sikorsky S-76A SE-JES Norrlandsflyg 0 25 km NE of Torneträsk
14-JUN-1999
Sikorsky S-76A N2743E Petroleum Helicopters (PHI) 4 Jackson, KY
08-MAR-2000
Sikorsky S-76A PK-PUK Pelita Air Service 2 South China Sea
02-AUG-2000
Sikorsky S-76A PT-HRD Líder Táxi Aéreo 5 Penha, SC
20-MAR-2001
Sikorsky S-76A N376AL Air Logistics 0+1 Gulf of Mexico
19-MAY-2001
Sikorsky S-76A 758 Philippine Air Force 7 Sitio Manguba, 60 km from Puerto Princesa
05-JUL-2001
Sikorsky S-76B HL9240 Dae-Woo Shipbuilding Co 8 near P'ohang
16-JUL-2002
Sikorsky S-76A+ G-BJVX Bristow Helicopters 11 28 mi NE of Cromer, Norfolk
22-NOV-2002
Sikorsky S-76A PT-HUI Aeróleo Táxi Aéreo 0 Macaé, RJ
30-JAN-2003
Sikorsky S-76B-7 2309 Royal Thai Navy 1 Ban Mai, Muang, Chantaburi
14-MAR-2003
Sikorsky S-76A+ C-FTGD Canadian Helicopters 0 Baku Airport
05-JUL-2003
Sikorsky S-76A PT-YVM BHS Táxi Aéreo 5 off Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ
22-AUG-2003
Sikorsky S-76A+ PT-YAU Aeróleo Táxi Aéreo 0 Macaé Airport, RJ
23-MAR-2004
Sikorsky S-76A++ N579EH Era Aviation 10 70nm SW, Galveston, TX, Gulf of Mexico (GOM)
20-APR-2004
Sikorsky S-76A PT-YBG Líder Táxi Aéreo 0 Macaé, RJ
22-JUL-2004
Sikorsky S-76A PP-MYM BHS Táxi Aéreo 6 160 km NE off Rio de Janeiro, RJ
18-SEP-2004
Sikorsky S-76C SE-JUJ Norrlandsflyg 0 E of Skräckskär
10-JAN-2005
Sikorsky S-76C+ JA6903/MH903 Japan Coast Guard 0 52 km WSW off Niigata (KIJ)
12-JAN-2005
Sikorsky S-76A PP-MCS BHS Táxi Aéreo 0 Macaé Airport, RJ
17-JUN-2005
Sikorsky S-76C+ N317MY Corporate Aviation Services 0 New York, NY
10-AUG-2005
Sikorsky S-76C+ OH-HCI Copterline 14 Baltic Sea, off Tallinn
06-SEP-2005
Sikorsky S-76A+ N90421 Houston Helicopters (HHI) 0 Gulf of Mexico
22-OCT-2006
Sikorsky S-76A++ N22342 Petroleum Helicopters Inc (PHI) 0 Eugene Island (EI) Block 259, Gulf of Mexico
- -2006
Sikorsky S-76A PT-HRF Líder Táxi Aéreo 0
-JUL-2007
Sikorsky S-76A++ B-73.. Zhuhai Helicopter/COPC 0 Bohai Bay
08-FEB-2008
Sikorsky S-76A C-GIMR Canadian Helicopters 0 Temagami, ON
29-MAY-2008
Sikorsky S-76A N176SH EMS Helicopters, opf. Aero Med 0 Grand Rapids, MI
18-SEP-2008
Sikorsky S-76B N399BH private 0 Bettystown, Meath County
04-JAN-2009
Sikorsky S-76C++ N748P Petroleum Helicopters (PHI) 8 near Houma, Terrebonne Parish, LA
11-MAR-2011
Sikorsky S-76C JA6905/MH905 Japan Coast Guard 0 Sendai Airport (RJSS)
11-JUL-2011
Sikorsky S-76C++ F-HJCS Héli-Union 3 Andaman Sea, off Myanmar coast
17-APR-2012
Sikorsky S-76B N56RD RDC Marine Inc 0 near Vermilion VR376A, Gulf of Mexico
13-AUG-2012
Sikorsky S-76A C-GHJT Helijet International 0 Langara Island, BC
26-SEP-2012
Sikorsky S-76C G-CGOU Bristow Helicopters 0 19 miles ENE of Humberside Airport, Kirmington, Lincolnshire
15-MAR-2013
Sikorsky S-76A++ N574EH Era Helicopters LLC 3 Grand Lake, LA
27-APR-2013
Sikorsky S-76B N305SJ Dominican Watchman National 0 Constanza
31-MAY-2013
Sikorsky S-76A C-GIMY Ornge Global Air Inc. 4 Moosonee, ON
16-NOV-2013
Sikorsky S-76C++ HL9294 LG Electronics 2 Gangnam, Seoul
05-DEC-2013
Sikorsky S-76B N707MY MYU Helicopters 0 Port Fourchon (LS99), LA
12-DEC-2013
Sikorsky S-76C 9M-STE MHS Aviation 0 South China Sea, 159 km off Bintulu, Sarawak
21-MAR-2015
Sikorsky S-76C+ PK-FUP PT Hevilift Aviation Indonesia 0 Kutai Lama, Anggana, East Kalimantan
12-AUG-2015
Sikorsky S-76C+ 5N-BGD Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) 6 off Oworonshoki, Lagos Lagoon
03-FEB-2016
Sikorsky S-76C++ 5N-BQJ Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) 0 75nm off Lagos
@Geoffersincornwall
I can just imagine the guys back at the Sikorsky factory trying to get their heads around this. The system was designed and built by the previous generation of engineer/designers so in theory the current generation bear no guilt - if there is guilt to be borne. But would they be wise to come forward and admit that the hydraulic system has a fundamental design flaw? Can you imagine the fall-out that would accompany such an admission?
Industry insider don't forget to make an answer for @Geoffersincornwall!