Bolkow down in Shetland

[simfly]

Heard that an NLB (Bond air services?) Bolkow near the skerries put out mayday and said he was ditching. Bristow Puma near by diverted to the scene and spotted pilot and wreckage, fortunately pilot escaped and picked up by coastguard.

[Staticdroop]

Just out of interest what was a BAS Bolkow doing in Shetland and is there a press release anywhere?
Hope the crew are OK

[RotorPig]

From the Shetland News:

15 January, 2005

EMERGENCY services in Shetland had to deal with two aircraft incidents within the course of two hours yesterday morning (Friday). Both aircrafts landed safely and no one was injured.

A twin-engined Cessna F4-0-6 aircraft with three people on board landed safely at Sumburgh Airport after a full emergency had been declared at 9.15am.

The pilot of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency aircraft, operated by Highland Airways, had reported problems with its flight controls shortly after taking off from Sumburgh Airport.

Emergency services were called out but stood down after the aircraft landed safely at about 10.04am.

Meanwhile a Bolkow 105 helicopter, belonging to the Northern Lighthouse Board, managed to land on Housay, the west island of the Out Skerries at 11.30am after reporting a problem to Aberdeen Coastguard at 10.45am.

A coastguard spokesman said that the pilot of the helicopter had initially thought that he would have to ditch in the sea. However he made it safely to the small island off Shetland. The coastguard helicopter Lima Charlie was standing by.

Last night it was not known what problem the Bolkow 105 had experienced. An investigation into the incident has been launched.

In May 2002, a lighthouse board Bolkow 105 helicopter plunged into the sea off Orkney killing the pilot.

[ScotiaQ]

The helicopter appears to have suffered complete hydraulic failure. The pilot did very well to land. Aircraft was underslung to Tingwall and repaired. Left Shetland on mon. 17th. Jan.

Nobody injured and a job well done by the pilot.