Offshore Pad Broken Aircraft Rescue

[megan]

How do you chaps/lasses go about rescuing an aircraft that has broken down offshore ie getting the necessary people onto the rig to fix things. Boat, winch, push the broken one to one side so as another can land? Just curious.

[Old Farang]

Depends to a great extent just what the problem is, and where the rig is. Had this happen many years ago where it was simply a failed battery and the rig did not have a Hobart type of ground power pack, or even a Nato type power plug. The operator ended up sending a GPU out sling loaded on another aircraft. Unlikely to be able to land another helicopter on the helideck while occupied without risking further damage.
In a field where there are other rigs or platforms, it could require engineers and / or parts being landed on one of them and then transferred by boat to the where the failed machine is and hoisted aboard using the rigs crane.

[industry insider]

Depends on the situation. Some larger facilities have a parking area which allows the main helideck to accept another aircraft. Sometimes its a flight to the nearest installation, FROG transfers to and from a vessel to the disabled aircraft's location. The SAR helicopter can also be used if winching is necessary and there is not other way to recover the aircraft. All of our issues have been minor only requiring small parts to be changed.

[Fareastdriver]

In the early eighties we S76A pilots, as well as running our own rig and platform support, formed the FART (Fast aircraft Rescue Team).

This involved carrying engineers, spares and sometimes pilots to stricken 332s and 214s. The offending aircraft would be pushed over to one side of the deck, the blades tastefully arranged and tied down and we would land in the remaining space.

The alternative was to send out a 332 with a winch but the chaos caused by the downwash whilst hovering over the deck meant that the direct 76 land on was preferable.

On a standard North Sea deck there was stacks of space.

[herman the crab]

In the early eighties we S76A pilots, as well as running our own rig and platform support, formed the FART (Fast aircraft Rescue Team).

In a similar line I seem to recall the UK CAA coming up with the Small Helicopter Action Group?

HTC

[Old Farang]

On a standard North Sea deck there was stacks of space.
On a production platform maybe, but not on any exploration rig that I ever worked on.

[SASless]

There is always the tried and true method of a Crane and Workboat to haul the broke down aircraft back to shore...then crane it onto a Lorry or repair it on the Dock.

[Fareastdriver]

A bit of an overkill when it is just a alternator change with a couple of dozen bears offshore panting to go home.

[SASless]

FED,

It depends upon what the problem is doesn't it?

It could be like in Nigeria where a 76 crossed the deck edge upon landing and the flight controls locked up.

The Pilot flying elected not to fly the aircraft home.

Another pilot got dropped off, climbed into it, and took off for home.

Major problems found with the aircraft back at Base and it was in the hanger for more than a few days.

But then....he made it home so I guess he was the Hero to Management that day.

[JBL99]

In a similar line I seem to recall the UK CAA coming up with the Small Helicopter Action Group?

HTC

Hysterical!!!!