Super Puma toppled over on drilling ship

[Flying Lawyer]

An unnoticed problem on a North Sea drilling ship led to an on-deck helicopter toppling over while its rotors still were running, an official accident report said today.
Unknown to both the ship's and helicopter's crews, the dynamic positioning system of the West Navion drilling ship reverted to manual heading control, and the vessel started drifting slowly to the right.
This led to the Super Puma helicopter, which was refuelling after a journey from Aberdeen, toppling over to its right, the report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
The 35-year-old co-pilot – who was on the helideck checking the helicopter – suffered severe leg injuries from flying debris as the main rotors broke up on impact with the deck.
The 37-year-old commander of the helicopter, who had remained on board, managed to escape, with difficulty, through the left pilot's door in the incident, which happened 80 miles west of Shetland on November 10, 2001.
The helicopter crew had flown 12 of the ship's crew in from Aberdeen and these passengers had disembarked before the incident.
The toppling-over occurred seven minutes after the ship started to drift.
No-one on the West Navion's bridge was initially aware of the situation, and the helicopter commander was not informed of the ship's change of alert status.
The AAIB report of the November 2001 accident concluded: "The lack of procedures on the ship to transmit the change in the alert status to the crew of the helicopter and of any specified procedures available to flight crews concerning action to be taken if control of the ship is lost or degraded whilst on the helideck, denied the pilot an appropriate course of action to ensure the safety of the helicopter."

The AAIB has made the following safety recommendations:

(1) That the CAA should require Operators conducting offshore operations to publish crosswind limitations for helicopters when operating to, and when positioned on, helidecks, incorporating these limits into their company Operations Manuals.

(2) That the CAA require offshore operators to review their landing procedures such that, after landing on moving helidecks, the helicopter's roll attitude, relative to the helideck, is neutral.

(3) That UKOOA revise their Guidelines for the Management of Offshore Helideck Operations to include a requirement for significant changes in environmental conditions, particularly wind speed and relative wind direction, to be communicated the pilot of a helicopter when parked, with rotors turning, on a helideck.

(4) That UKOOA should include in its Guidelines for the Management of Offshore Operations a requirement that, following an accident or incident (regardless of whether or not it involved a helicopter at the time), operators of vessels, Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) and fixed installations should consider in their subsequent installation safety investigations the potential safety implications for helicopter operations on helidecks.

[rotordk]

The titel of the post might give the impression this is a new accident........this one happened 2 1/2 years ago

[Heliport]

The accident was in November 2001 as the article says. The AAIB report has only just been published.

Heliport

[simfly]

Here's the report...
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/group...ty_029265.hcsp

[Big Tudor]

Seems to be an awful long time between the accident and the final report, considering there was no break up (except rotors) and all relevent info was available!

[boomerangben]

I would imagine that the delay was due to the investigation of the vessel's DP system. I don't suppose that run offs like that are easy to reproduce.

[Bravo 99 (AJB)]

I had convesation with a CHC pilot some time ago, and this was included in that conversation he is a good friend of the pilot.

The pilot was monitoring the pitch and roll of the A/C and had just radiod through to the bridge requisting information as he was concerned about changes in atitude and was just about to iniciate lifting off the deck when the accident happened. he would had lifted but for refueling in progress.

He went on to add that the co pilot was extreamly lucky.

Sincerely


Bravo 99 (AJB)

[simfly]

bravo 99, you should maybe have a look at the report. It concluded that refuelling had finished and the hoses being stowed below the helideck, fortunately the only person outside the helicopter on the deck was the F/O himself (unlucky for him though!!) so no-one else caught in the rain of blade pieces.

[Bravo 99 (AJB)]

I was only going on the information provided by a friend of the pilot if the information is incorect (no problem) i stand corrected i have only forwarded information passed on by someone who had information on the incident. apoligies if incorrect. but this is a romour site.


Sincerely

Bravo 99 (AJB)

on not wishing to get into a who got the information correct arguement ( becouse i have relayed second hand information) I would add though that the friend of the crew, flys with the guys quite a lot so he should have a good knowledge of what happened.

Bravo 99 (AJB)

[simfly]

bravo,

Don't worry, wasn't having a go, my old man works there too and he got similar info, we're all in the same boat. The report is interesting reading for those in the industry, that's what I meant... regards

[Vfrpilotpb]

Anyone aware of how the Co pilot got on and has he fully recovered yet?

[Bravo 99 (AJB)]

thanks simfly

i have my boys at the weekends and i only get the chance to have glances at the threads and post feed back no probs

i will when i get a mo read the report as i am interested in the gyro stab systerm on the boats etc.

thanks any way

Sincerely

Andy

Bravo 99 (AJB)

[Blind]

Haven't spoken to the Co-pilot for a while but he lost his medical recently. His leg was in a really bad way. He thought he would be able to fly again but he never got enough strength back in his leg.

He has returned to college (I believe) to learn a new trick.

Blind