HELICOPTER CRASH REPORT REVEALS “MISUNDERSTANDINGS”

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2012 :: RMTnews 14 The 209-page official report into the fatal crash of Bond Helicopters flight ‘85 November’ is an extremely complex in- depth analysis of the events before, during and after the fatal flight which killed the two crew and 14 passengers on board, two of whom were RMT members. The report is difficult reading due to its highly technical nature, but there are aspects which need no explanation. Investigators found all those on board had sustained multiple injuries consistent with “impact related forces”. The pathologist reported that “the forces involved were such that the accident was not survivable and that no additional safety equipment would have affected the fatal outcome of this accident.” The helicopter literally fell out of the sky after the catastrophic failure of the main rotor gear box, which separated from the aircraft fuselage, and it crashed into the sea off Peterhead, killing all 16 occupants. The terror of the situation faced by all those on board and the timeframe for it happening is captured in the reported voice recordings during the last few seconds before the accident. At 12.54:22 there was a low oil pressure warning from the main gear box; two seconds later an “expletive” is heard from the commander. The report then reads: “At 12.54:31 hrs, six seconds after the commander expressed alarm, he transmitted “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” followed one second later by the co-pilot transmitting “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY, THIS IS BOND 85 NOVEMBER, ‘MERGENCY, CURRENTLY ON THE 055”. One second later, at 12.54;42 hrs, one of the flight crew uttered an expletive; this was the final radio transmission. This occurred 20 seconds after the Main Gear Box oil low pressure warning”. For all workers in the industry these two short sections from the report send shivers up the spine. The report confirms the deep-rooted fears of thousands of offshore workers who know that all the survival training in the world is not going to help in situations such as this. It is for these reasons that everything must be done to prevent such catastrophic failures of equipment and specifically the equipment which is keeping you in the air. And it is around this issue in particular that questions will inevitably be asked about the events prior to the crash. There will be questions because the report reveals that apparent ‘misunderstandings’ between the helicopter operator (Bond Helicopters) and the helicopter manufacturer (Eurocopter) may have prevented a main rotor gearbox fault being identified. On March 25, A week before the tragedy, a “metallic particle” was found during maintenance. The report suggests that had a system called EDR - EuroHums Diagnostic Report - been used to identify what the ‘particle’ was, the outcome may have been different. The report states: “The use of telephone conversations to relay complex technical issues which are not backed up by written communication allows for the possibility of a misunderstanding or miscommunication and the issues remaining unidentified, with potentially significant consequences. The disparities between the statements and reports show this situation arose on 25 March 2009. Had written confirmation of the telephone conversations been provided or requested it is possible that the disparity would have been identified, by one or both parties, and rectified.” The question for RMT is why wasn’t the ERD system used? It seems perfectly reasonable to suggest that to err on the side of caution would have been appropriate approach. Many of our members feel that if Bond wanted to avoid the need for a complete strip-down of the gear box, the ERD system would be the next ‘fall-back’ position. Instead, a series of phone calls and emails were used to justify the continued use of the helicopter. RMT will be meeting with the STUC to discuss an approach to the Crown office on this question. HELICOPTER CRASH REPORT REVEALS “MISUNDERSTANDINGS” Offshore regional organiser Jake Molloy looks at the report on the 2009 fatal helicopter crash which killed 16 people