News / All oil field Super Pumas grounded
ALL Super Puma helicopters operating in the North Sea and north Atlantic oil and gas industry have been grounded following Monday’s emergency ditching off Fair Isle.
This was the second such incident involving a Super Puma EC225 in the past six months, though all on board were rescued from both choppers.
CHC, who operated Monday’s aircraft, announced they were suspending operations using these helicopters. Bristow and Bond, who operate similar aircraft, have now followed suit pending the outcome of an investigation.
A Bristow Helicopters spokesman said: “The safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance to Bristow and we comply fully with the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance and operational procedures for all of our aircraft.”
Bond added: “As a leading provider of mission critical services Bond Offshore Helicopters is committed to the highest standards of airworthiness, with the safety of our passengers and crew being our highest priority.”
Meanwhile the coastguard emergency tug Herakles remains on standby beside the ditched helicopter 20 miles west of Fair Isle, while the oil supply vessel Olympic Zeus heads for the scene to lift the aircraft on board.
CHC, the Air Accident Investigation Branch and the aircraft manufacturer Eurocopter will all carry out an investigation into what happened on Monday afternoon when the pilots carried out a controlled landing in the open sea at 3.30pm.
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