Crash ‘copter gearbox was broken in fall from a lorry
Report blames ‘fatigue fracture’ for 13 deaths
A HELICOPTER that crashed killing 13 men had been fitted with a gearbox that had fallen off a lorry beforehand, a report found.
A Scots oil worker was among those who died when the Super Puma 225 came down in Norway in April 2016.
The Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) said a fatigue fracture in the main gearbox had not been picked up by on-board detectors and had developed into a “catastrophic failure.”
The report said there were “clear similarities” with a Super Puma crash near Peterhead in 2009 that claimed 16 lives.
In both cases, the main rotors detached from the helicopters as a result of a fatigue fracture in the main gearbox.
The AIBN report said the “post-investigation actions” of the 2009 crash “were not sufficient to prevent another main rotor loss”.
The Airbus LN-OJF came down near the island of Turoey, in Norway while it was returning from an oil field,
Iain Stuart, 41, from Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, was among the victims.
The report said: “The main gear box (MGB), which was later installed, fell off a truck during transport. It was inspected, repaired and released for flight by Airbus Helicopters without detailed analysis of the potential effects on the critical characteristics of the MGB.”
The report emphasised that there were “no connections between the crew handling and the accident” and no evidence that “maintenance actions by the helicopter operator” had played a part in the crash.
Airbus said in a statement: “Neither aviation authorities nor industry had ever seen the type of crack in the main gear box that led to the accident.
“There are similarities with the 2009 accident. However, without key evidence at the time, it was impossible to put in place measures which might have prevented the LN-OJF accident.
“Extensive analysis of the accident has led to the development of a set of safety measures which have allowed the H225 fleet to resume flight operations worldwide.
“However, no H225s are flying in the North Sea today and we understand there are no immediate requirements for these aircraft in the North Sea.”