When news of Friday’s helicopter disaster broke, the north-east once again united in sadness and sorrow for those who perished in the North Sea and the families they left behind.
But for Lynette Mitchell, it was like reliving the nightmare of April 1, 2009 – the day she found out her husband was one of those who would never be coming home.
Warren Mitchell was just 38 when he died alongside 15 other men when flight 85N suffered a catastrophic gearbox failure and crashed into the North Sea off the coast of Peterhead.
He left behind children Bex, 24, Blair, 16, Finn, 11, and Molly, five, who was just 14 months old at the time.
Despite four years having passed, Lynette’s memories of that day remain vivid, her grief raw and her anger palpable.
When she heard another Super Puma AS332L2 helicopter had fallen out of the sky it brought back all that pain and suffering.
“I just cannot believe it has happened again,” she said. “I find it disgusting. I just keep thinking that if the fatal accident inquiry had happened more quickly, this might not have happened.
“I just feel sick about it. Four years on and I’m still having to fight for answers.
“It’s been absolute hell. You’ve got so much to deal with, looking after the children and coping with the grief – and then you’ve got to fight all the way to get answers.
“I just hope these families get answers quicker than we have.”
Mrs Mitchell, 41, said the families of the 2009 victims felt let down that the Crown Office had not found enough evidence to mount criminal proceedings against Bond Offshore or manufacturer Eurocopter.
A fatal accident inquiry into the crash is due to begin on January 6.
Meanwhile, the parents of another 2009 crash victim spoke out.
When Audrey and Joe Wood were told the heartbreaking news that their son, Stuart, 27, had been killed their worlds fell apart.
“We have asked for answers but we have never received them. The FAI will be nothing more than a learning exercise,” said Mrs Wood.
“We have never really spoken out about what happened before. But our men are not here to speak for themselves, so we need to be their voices.”
“Workers must be petrified. They need to speak out. All Super Pumas need to be banned and Eurocopter need to get back to the drawing board.”
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