THE Super Puma helicopter which ditched in the North Sea off Fair Isle on Monday has been brought back to the Scottish mainland on the deck of an oil industry standby vessel.
• All North Sea Super Puma flights remain suspended
• French manufacturer to send investigation team to Scotland to probe helicopter ditching
• All crew on board helicopter escaped uninjured
The helicopter, operated by CHC Helicopters, arrived in the Buchan port of Peterhead in the early hours of the morning after being lifted on board the support vessel Olympic Zeus at the scene of the ditching.
Its arrival in port will allow experts from the Government’s Air Accident Investigation Branch to begin a detailed examination of the aircraft in the search for clues to the cause of the controlled ditching in which the two pilots and 17 oilmen on board escaped unscathed.
Meanwhile all crew change flights involving the various models of Super Pumas operating in the North Sea remain suspended. CHC has already grounded its entire fleet of Superb Pumas across the globe and another major operator Bristow, has now also announced a worldwide suspension of Super Puma flights.
A Bristow spokesman said: “Investigations continue into finding out what caused a controlled safe ditching yesterday in the North Sea of an EC225 Super Puma helicopter flown by another operator. Out of an abundance of caution, Bristow will continue to delay the operation of its eleven EC225 Super Pumas from its Aberdeen base, and its eight other EC225s and two AS332Ls working elsewhere in the world.”
He continued: “The safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance. Our affected aircraft will not fly until we are satisfied that it is safe to do so based on information provided by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch in the UK and the manufacturer of the Super Puma, Eurocopter.
“Bristow remain totally committed to the highest standards of airworthiness for our fleet. We are working closely and sharing information with the other affected helicopter operators in Aberdeen, as well as the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK.”
A spokesman for Bond, the third major operator, said their Super Puma fleet would not return to service until further checks were carried out.
He said: “Bond Offshore Helicopters will further delay the return to service of their AS332L2 and EC225 Super Puma helicopters while they await more detailed information concerning the cause of the incident. The company continues to work closely with other operators, and the aircraft manufacturer Eurocopter, whilst also updating its customers on a regular basis”
The spokesman continued: “Richard Mintern , the chief executive, acknowledges that the decision my cause inconvenience but stated that as a leading provider of mission critical services Bond Offshore Helicopters is committed to the highest standards of airworthiness and will not compromise the safety of the company’s passengers and crew. “