A helicopter of the same type as the craft which crashed into the sea on Friday had an emergency alert on the same route just days before.
Oil workers said another Super Puma AS332 L2 suffered a malfunction on Tuesday as it travelled to the Borgsten Dolphin platform, during which a warning light came on mid-flight and the helicopter “twisted” in the air.
Last night, operator CHC said an “indicator light” had flashed and that the pilot was forced to land to investigate a vent.
A spokeswoman for the company said a full maintenance check had then been carried out before the helicopter embarked on any more trips.
Last night, offshore workers demanded answers from CHC and Eurocopter about what went wrong on Friday night.
What should have been the most routine of flights home for 18 people on board the helicopter on Friday turned to tragedy when the aircraft came down west of Shetland.
While 14 people were saved, a search involving the Coastguard, police, RAF and RNLI continued throughout the night for those missing.
On Saturday morning, police confirmed that four people had died, including Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin and Gary McCrossan, 59, from Inverness.
With questions still unanswered from the Super Puma crash of 2009 – where 16 were killed when the helicopter crashed 11 miles north-east of Peterhead – and two more ditchings in the North Sea last year, workers said they feared for their safety.
More than 28,000 people have joined groups on social networking sites and signed online petitions demanding that all Super Puma models be “destroyed”, and protests are being organised during the Offshore Europe Conference & Exhibition.
See video of the wreckage being surveyed by RNLI crews below
Yesterday, desperate calls were made by oil workers for more reliable aircraft and assurances that their safety is paramount.
Ken Wood, a retired Buckie engineer, was involved in three separate investigations following helicopter crashes during his 40-year career. “What is needed is a helicopter that is robust, reliable and has the confidence of the workforce,” he said last night.
A man claiming to be a survivor of Friday’s accident added a comment to the online network site, Destroy The Super Pumas.
He said: “I survived that Shetland crash and lost good hardworking workmates and friends – In memory of those, save others. When we relate to the dangers of working offshore, it is a common reply to say the most dangerous part of working offshore is getting on the chopper.
“Well on Friday I ate my word as we crashed into the water, now I want the helicopter companies to eat their words – stop taking risks with people’s lives.
“If these choppers are overworked, and can’t meet the weight payload they carry, then they are not suitable for the job.”
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