The latest update from the AIBN makes it clear that they are not yet able to form any substantive conclusions as to what caused the catastrophic separation of the main rotor head and mast. They are continuing to look for components for their reconstruction. The report if anything makes Airbus Helicopters statement on 3 May seems even more confusing. Nothing I have seen in the brief report remotely suggests that they are focussing on possible maintenance errors any more than the many thousands of other potential causes. It seems that the reason for the crash is lying under the sea or remains to be discovered in many more hours of painstaking investigation. While this happens the Puma's future, at least in the North Sea hangs in the balance. Whether the ultimate conclusion finds that the cause is a failure similar to the previous accidents or another which caused a similar catastrophic separation the machine's customer base is losing confidence. Much of this is unscientific, even emotional, but getting people to feel happy about this aircraft is going to be difficult. it is not really a question of 5 million safe flying hours but the amount of failures in the last few hundred thousand.
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