NORTH SEA FLIGHT SAFETY DELAY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2017 :: RMTnews 13 Over a hundred offshore workers were delayed from returning home after North Sea helicopter flights were cancelled amid safety fears last month. All flights on Sikorsky S-92s were halted and recalled by the three main North Sea helicopter operators after the manufacturer issued an Air Safety Bulletin (ASB) following an incident offshore in late December. It meant all flights to and from platforms were put on hold while operators Bristow, CHC and Babcocks completed safety checks. The shut-down came after the Sikorsky became the main helicopter for transporting workers offshore since its rival type, the Super Puma, was grounded in the wake of a fatal accident last year. A Super Puma 225 helicopter plunged into the Norwegian North Sea killing all 13 on board leading to a ban on flights across Europe. The call to stop flights of the Sikorskys, which are made by US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, came after a shuttle flight between Total’s Elgin platform and the West Franklin platform got into technical difficulties. The incident is currently under investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB).Further checks are also being carried out on the Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) which detect early indications of any failures. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) stressed the decision was purely a manufacturer’s recall. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said that its S92s, operated by Bristow, would be returning to service once the checks had been completed. RMT regional organiser Jake Molloy said that workers would support the decision by the manufacturer. “It means the aircraft has to be on the ground for some hours but I’m quite sure every worker in the North Sea would rather that rod and that bearing were inspected to ensure we don’t have a repeat of December 28,” he said. NORTH SEA FLIGHT SAFETY DELAY