Sixteen feared dead in North Sea helicopter crash

By Calvin Palmer

Sixteen people are feared dead after a Super Puma helicopter crashed today off the coast of Scotland.

The helicopter was returning from the BP-operated Miller oil and gas field when it went down 14 miles from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire at 2:00 p.m. local time. It carried 14 oil workers and two crew.

Brian Taylor of the drilling contractor KCA Deutag said he believed ten of his personnel were on board, nine from the UK and one from Europe.

A search and rescue operation was launched involving two RAF helicopters, a Nimrod aircraft and two RNLI lifeboats.

Grampian Police later confirmed that eight bodies had been found in the water.

An extensive search for the missing was called off this evening and will resume tomorrow morning.

The eight bodies were recovered by the support vessel, Caledonia Victory. It was making its way back to Aberdeen Harbor this evening.

Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, said: “Unfortunately, we have eight confirmed dead and two further sightings of bodies and we have to face the grim reality that the outlook for the remaining six people is very, very negative indeed.

“It’s an appalling tragedy. Obviously our thoughts are with the families and loved ones across the oil and gas community.”

It is the second largest ever loss of life in an air crash related to North Sea oil production.

The worst occurred in November 1986, when a a Chinook helicopter crashed, killing 45 people.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said that a supply vessel called Normand Aurora, which was quite close by, put their fast response boat into the water and was looking for survivors.

Two helicopters from RAF Lossiemouth were  scrambled to the scene and a Nimrod marine patrol aircraft was diverted to the area. RNLI lifeboats from Peterhead and Fraserburgh were also searching for survivors.

Helicopter operator Bond confirmed one of its Super Puma AS 33L Mk II aircraft was involved in the incident.

Bond representative Bill Munro said the company had “every confidence in the Super Puma family”, and that its 700 helicopters working worldwide had an “excellent safety record”.

He said he had no information to suggest a mechanical failure on the aircraft, and that it was “far too early to speculate” on the cause of the tragedy.

The accident is the second such incident this year.

In February, a Bond Super Puma with 18 people on board ditched in the North Sea as it approached a production platform owned by BP. Everyone survived the accident.

[Based on reports by The Daily Telegraph and Associated Press.]

Crew and passengers rescued after helicopter ditches in North Sea

By Calvin Palmer

All 18 people aboard a helicopter that ditched into the North Sea this evening have been resuced from two life rafts, according to coastguards.

The Super Puma helicopter came down near an oil platform in the ETAP field, 125 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Three of the people aboard were rescued by a Bond company helicopter, the other 15 by a platform lifeboat.

Coast guard spokesman Fred Caygill said the passengers and crew managed to make it out of the helicopter on to two inflatable life rafts.

“We’re very pleased that all 18 have been rescued,” Caygill said, adding that there were no serious injuries.

A Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth and a Nimrod jet from RAF Kinloss were scrambled.

James Lyne of RAF Kinloss said all those on board would have been wearing immersion suits that would have protected them from the cold of the sea for some time.

NHS Grampian said A&E staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were now on full alert and they were expecting 18 patients.

[Based on reports by BBC News and newsday.com.]