Following a fatal helicopter crash in Norway, a union leader has called for a “plan B for helicopter traffic.”
On Wednesday evening a Bristow-operated Sikorsky-S92 helicopter crashed near the Norwegian island of Sotra at around 7:30pm.
The search and rescue (SAR) helicopter was taking part in a training exercise involving Norwegian state-owned oil firm Equinor and a cargo ship.
It has been revealed that a woman in her 60s died and five others were injured as a result of the incident.
Speaking to E24, manager of Norwegian trade union Safe, Raymond Midtgård, said: “If alternatives to a helicopter, such as a boat, must be used temporarily, then this must be discussed between the parties.
“We have called for a plan B for helicopter traffic and the involvement of the tripartite collaboration.”
Following news of the crash a number of UK flights by S-92 aircraft were ‘paused’ at the request of North Sea operators.
‘There should be more’ types of helicopter in place
The union leader voiced concerns over the widescale use of the S-92 on the Norwegian continental shelf.
After a fatal incident involving a Super Puma helicopter in 2016, which resulted in the deaths of 13 people, the helicopter model was grounded and the S-92 became in industry mainstay.
“It has been eight years since the Turøy accident and we have flown in that period with only one type of helicopter,” said Mr Midtgård. “There should have been more types in place.”
On Friday Equinor shared news that it had secured 15 new helicopters for passenger traffic through deals with helicopter manufacturers Bell and Leonardo.
Following the deal, Equinor is set to receive ten new Bell 525 helicopters and five AW189 helicopters.
Kjetil Hove, executive vice president of exploration and production in Norway, said: “These helicopter types will supplement the current Sikorsky S-92.
“All three helicopter models meet stringent safety requirements. By increasing from one to three helicopter models on the NCS we get more flexibility and regularity.”
The Norweigan oil giant will receive two helicopters from Leonardo next year and a further three in 2026.
Bell will deliver four helicopters in 2026 with the remaining six arriving between 2027 and 2030, in line with an agreed production plan.
Mr Midtgård has shared concerns that the incident on Wednesday would result in S-92s being grounded in Norway.
The chief executive of Bristow criticised “significant delays” for spare parts for S-92 helicopters late last year as he claimed the situation was stifling the firm’s global growth.
A lack of parts, including gearboxes, was said to be affecting helicopter operators industry-wide, causing logistical challenges in areas like the UK North Sea.
The IOGP oil and gas trade body last week went so far as to say it was harming safety – a position the UK Civil Aviation Authority disagrees with.
Not a spare parts issue
However, the union boss did not blame the lack of spare parts for these aircraft as the reason for this incident.
“The people who maintain these helicopters are 110% honest and do things right,” Mr Midtgård said when asked about the spare parts issue.
He added: “We have full confidence in them. This is also partly why we have had a shortage of parts, because there have been cases of poor quality.”
Union secretary of Norwegian trade union Industri Energi, Henrik Fjeldsbø, shared the belief that the widely reported S-92 parts issue is unlikely to be the reason for the fatal crash.
He said: “I hear there is a lot of speculation and thoughts about this. But there is nothing so far to suggest that this has anything to do with the parts shortage.
“The parts shortage is particularly linked to the fact that there is too little production of new gearboxes, and this does not seem to have anything to do with it. But we have to wait and see what the investigation will show.”
As an investigation is conducted into what caused the Bristow helicopter to crash, Mr Fjeldsbø shared that he believes there is no increased risk of flying on the continental shelf.
The Industri Energi union secretary added: “This is a search and rescue machine that has gone down, and they don’t fly in the same pattern as a spending machine.
“There is nothing so far to indicate that there is an increased risk for the flights on the continental shelf.”
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