THE pilots who ditched a Super Puma helicopter in the North Sea on Monday were warned that there was a problem with oil and lubrication in the gearbox, the Press and Journal can reveal.
Nineteen people had to be rescued after the aircraft made an emergency landing near Shetland. The incident – the fourth involving a Super Puma in three years – has heaped pressure on Eurocopter, which makes the aircraft.
Last night, the French firm’s executive vice-president, Jean-Pierre Dedieu, insisted the helicopters were “safe”.
“There is nothing wrong with the design of the aircraft or the design of the gearbox. Our helicopters are safe. But we need to fully understand what has happened on Monday.”
Today, senior staff from offshore helicopter firms, oil and gas companies and trade unions expect operator CHC to give them a report on the incident.
The damaged aircraft was recovered by the Olympic Zeus vessel yesterday and was due to arrive at Peterhead harbour in the early hours of today. It will be taken to Aberdeen, where the Air Accidents Investigation Branch probe will get under way.
In the meantime, CHC, Bond Offshore and Bristow have all grounded their EC225 models of the Super Puma as a precaution, causing major disruption to offshore crew changes.