AS332L2 Ditching off Shetland: 23rd August 2013
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BBC reporting CHC as the operator.
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Fingers crossed, but not very optimistic so far.
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S92 or Super Puma....both machines who could use more bad press...
Hopefully everyone made it out okay :sad: |
Sans
Is that the same type that was grounded recently? |
Indeed
Super Puma helicopter returns to the skies after two ditching incidents in the North Sea last year - Daily Record Dateline 7 Aug 2013 Though to be fair its pure speculation right now |
It was the EC225 that was grounded. Scotia also fly the AS3B version of the Super Puma and I think they still have a couple of AS32s still flying.
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A SAR heli has so far rescued 9 people, 1 on a stretcher according to BBC News
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9 of the 18 onboard now back on dry land after being picked up by HM coastguard S92
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BBC report 9 people have arrived at 'Lerwick' in one of the rescue helicopters, 1 stretcher, 8 walk-offs.
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SOrry, wrong link, try....
Helicopter 'with 18 people on board' ditches in sea off Shetland | Aberdeen & North | News | STV A helicopter has ditched in the North Sea off the coast of Shetland. The aircraft is reported to have had 18 people on board when it hit the water two miles west of Sumburgh airport at about 6.20pm on Friday. A NorthLink ferry travelling between Shetland and Aberdeen via Orkney, which set sail from Lerwick at 5.10pm, is said to turned back to assist in the rescue. The helicopter is a Super Puma AS332 L2 operated by Canadian company CHC, a company that transports offshore workers to and from North Sea platforms. Police and ambulance crews are standing by on the shore at Lerwick. Two coastguard helicopters and lifeboat crews from Lerwick and Aith RNLI stations have been sent to the scene. The BBC reported nine people had been brought on shore by a rescue helicopter, eight of whom were described as walking wounded while the ninth was taken off on a stretcher. The RNLI said a search was ongoing for three people missing in the water. Some of those on board have been rescued but it is not clear how many. Conditions in the area are said to be foggy, with high winds earlier in the evening which have since died down. A spokesman for the operating company said: "CHC Helicopter can confirm that there has been an incident involving one of our aircraft in the North Sea, approximately two miles off Sumburgh. "Exact details of the incident, which happened at approximately 6.20pm are not yet known. "The appropriate authorities have been informed and the company’s Incident Management Team is being mobilised." Investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) are travelling to the scene. A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "The AAIB is aware of the incident and has deployed a team". Four years ago 16 men died when a Super Puma AS332 L2 plunged into the sea. An accident inquiry found it suffered a catastrophic gearbox failure while carrying offshore workers to Aberdeen. The aircraft, operated by Bond helicopters aircraft, was returning from the BP Miller platform when it went down off the Aberdeenshire coast on April 1, 2009. More recently a different Eurocopter model, the EC225, was grounded following two ditching incidents in the space of six months last year. Fourteen people were rescued off the coast of Aberdeen in May, while another 19 were rescued after an EC225 experienced difficulty off the coast of Shetland in October. The EC225 fleet was only cleared to return to service earlier this month after extra safety checks were introduced. |
The local ferry, a cargo vessel, a Norwegian fishing boat and the lifeboat still appear to be combing the area - watching on AIS.
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ITV reporting 15 rescued 3 still unaccounted for
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Coast guard saying wreckage is being washed ashore at Garth Sneff.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-23821083 Continuing to pray for the three missing. |
They are saying it went down around 6:30pm. Does this mean it would have been on its way back in or are there still lots of flights leaving at that time?
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Weather reports from Sumburgh at the time:
METAR COR EGPB 231820Z 14020KT 3000 BR BKN003 16/14 Q1013 TEMPO 5000= METAR COR EGPB 231750Z 14019KT 2800 BR SCT002 BKN003 15/14 Q1013 NOSIG= METAR COR EGPB 231720Z 14017KT 2800 BR SCT002 BKN003 15/14 Q1013 BECMG 4000 BR BKN006= METAR COR EGPB 231650Z 15012KT 2800 BR FEW002 BKN003 15/14 Q1014 BECMG 4000 BR BKN006= |
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...8_dsc_9364.jpg
BBC News PR spin at work already: understandable I suppose, but CHC now calling it an "L2 helicopter". |
Does anyone have any news on which company the victims worked for?
2Sticks |
Somebody on MFR/Facebook is saying that a family member had phoned them to say that they were on this helicopter yesterday and to quote them "chopper was shaking like a baby's cradle". My only thought here is how he knows it's the same aircraft.
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Super Puma variants
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Breathtakingly inaccurate report of the history of the super puma from Colin Blane on Radio 4 just now which is a shame as he's normally very good
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BBC are saying pilots didnt have a chance to make a mayday. Dont know if they have checked with ATC. Incident happened 2 miles off sumburgh.
I think it will be a long time before any type of super puma will carry rig workers again. Seen the same thing with the chinook. CHC have opened a help line for relatives. 01224 296 866 (bbc news) |
Is this going to result in the grounding of all Eurocopters/Puma's?
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More images coming into the media:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...18_634x430.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/...98_634x482.jpg Daily Mail |
AS332L2 Ditching off Shetland: 23rd August 2013
The aircraft was inbound to Sumburgh from the North Alwyn. I believe they were doing the localizer approach to Rwy 09 & had just been transferred to tower when the incident happened with no time for a Mayday. Prayers for the remaining 3 missing. :(
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Any news on the crew themselves? At 13C sea temperature, they could conceivably be in cotton suits.
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AS332L2 Ditching off Shetland: 23rd August 2013
Bravo73,
True but the immersion suit must be worn if your planning to come back from a flight within 2hours before local night so it would have been touch & go really. |
AIS shows intense activity around Garths Ness which is a rocky headland west of Sumburgh at lat/long 59.884/-1.355 or grid HU364111.
The activity shows a pattern flown west of the Ness then activity along the shore including three returns to Sumburgh including one recently. The aircraft concerned is on MMSI 2161 which is one of the Bristow S-92 in CG colours (R102) and I believe may be G-MCGC. Currently on the ground at Sumburgh. Another track shows the Lerwick lifeboat which left Lerwick at 1745UTC and left similar tracks to helicopter and is now steaming back past Horse and approaching Sumburgh Head. The RO-RO vessel has also just left the scene where it had been steaming loop all evening south and west of the ness. |
Survivor tells of loss of power.
Three missing oil workers feared dead after helicopter carrying 18 ditched at sea - Telegraph "Fifteen men, including eight described as walking wounded, were rescued following the incident close to Sumburgh Airport. Dr Michael Bull, a father of one of the men rescued, said his son told him the helicopter lost power suddenly and immediately ditched into the sea. He said they "had seconds" before the craft hit the water, and then turned over." |
Here's hoping for a good outcome for all...
GREDL suffered cat gearbox failure, leading to detachment of main rotor. Hell to pay if this is a repeat. |
AS332L2 Ditching off Shetland: 23rd August 2013
Does anyone know if the crew got out and if there were EC people Onboard. Thoughts are with families and friends of those missing. Hope they find them.
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Witness
Have just heard 2nd hand the experiences from one of the passengers onboard the helicopter. This not a a quote, but the message was that the crash was sudden and violent, the chopper lurched left, then right before falling into the water and turning upside down. He escaped from a window he punched out.
Must have been a frightening experience. |
BBC now reporting two bodies recovered. Wreckage appears to have been towed off rocks by lifeboat & awaiting salvage.
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BBC News - Shetland helicopter crash: 'Two bodies found'
Bodies of two of the three people missing after a helicopter crash off Shetland have been recovered, a lifeboat crew member has said. Coxswain Bruce Leask said they were recovered by lifeboat after being spotted in the water from a rescue helicopter. |
The link is reporting 3 bodies have been recovered meaning all persons on board are now acountered for.
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Sky news reporting the remaining body is still in the helicopter wreckage which has now been secured by a rescue craft - on AIS I can see a tug is in the area.
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Daily Mail up to its usual high reporting standards:
It is understood that helicopters operating west off the islands regularly stop at Sumburgh to take on extra fuel. This involves flying high towards Fitful Head and then dropping down quickly. But on this occasion it is believed the aircraft plunged faster than normal and ended up around two miles off the coast. |
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