Passengers on a stricken helicopter have described how they feared for their lives as it “dropped like a stone” following the failure of one of its engines.
The CHC Helicopter-operated Sikorsky S92 was returning to Aberdeen from the Beryl Bravo platform in the North Sea when the mid-air drama unfolded.
A full emergency response was mounted after one of the two engines cut out 40 nautical miles, or about 46 miles, from the Buchan coastline.
The pilot told the 16 passengers to check their lifejackets and seatbelts as the aircraft pitched violently from side to side.
Lifeboat crews in Aberdeen and Peterhead were put on standby for a rescue mission in case the helicopter had to ditch before reaching land.
Fire engines from Dyce, Altens and Anderson Drive in Aberdeen were also scrambled to the airport.
One of the passengers who was returning from the Apache-owned rig said he and others on board had been terrified during their ordeal.
The worker, who asked not to be named, said: “Most folk were trying to get some sleep when there was this almighty whine, and then the chopper just dropped like a stone.
“We were all looking down towards the cockpit and there were lights going off everywhere.
“Then it started moving violently from side to side and up and down.
“The pilot said we had lost an engine and to check our lifejackets and seatbelts.
“He then said he was going to try and struggle into Aberdeen but that another helicopter would follow us in on the left-hand side.”
The aircraft limped homeward on one engine for half an hour, arriving back at the city airport shortly before noon on Thursday.
The problem meant the pilot was forced to land on the runway in the same way as a plane, rather than hovering in the usual manner, before taxi-ing to the heliport.
The passenger said: “When we did land, it took ages for the remaining engine to be shut down and by this point we were surrounded by fire engines.
“We were ushered into a room where a lady asked if we were OK. Then the pilot came in and spoke to us. He said an oil-pressure warning had come on and, before he had a chance to react, the engine just cut out completely.
“We asked him why he hadn’t tried to land at one of the airstrips we flew over on the way in and he said it was because they were privately owned and there would be no way of getting the emergency services in.
“It was absolutely terrifying and we were all really shaken up by it.
“When we were told the flight was changed from a Super Puma to a S92, we were delighted because we thought it was much safer.
“It doesn’t fill you with confidence.”
A spokeswoman for CHC insisted last night that the passengers and crew had never been in danger.
She said: “One of our aircraft returned safely to Aberdeen Airport on Thursday after a warning light came on, signalling a problem with one of its two engines.
“The pilots followed procedure and the aircraft is being inspected by engineers. Helicopters are designed and certified to fly on one engine and flying on one engine is not unsafe.”
Jake Molloy, regional organiser for the RMT union, said he would be looking for assurances from the company about the safety of the aircraft.
“Regrettably, incidents with helicopters and returns to base are common in the North Sea,” he said.
“Thankfully, most are not serious, but questions will be asked of the operators.”
A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said CHC would inform it of the incident using the mandatory occurrence-reporting system.
A Sikorsky spokeswoman said: “Sikorsky is working closely with CHC to identify a root cause and correct any issues. Safety is our top priority and we will support in any way needed.”
CHC Scotia operates a number of S92 aircraft in the North Sea. The model is also used for its search-and-rescue operations from Sumburgh Airport.
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