No sign of mechanical failure found on R116
Initial analysis of black box data shows helicopter in good working order
INITIAL data from the black box of Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter 116, which crashed off the coast of north Mayo last month, shows no mechanical failure, the Air Accident Investigation Unit has said.
The AAIU said they issued this statement because they are ‘mindful that Sikorsky S-92A helicopters are in operation around the world, in a variety of roles, including Search and Rescue’ and other agencies using the helicopter would need to know if safety actions were required.
However, the investigation is still at a preliminary stage and the AAIU’s finding of no mechanical failure was an initial indication.
In a statement, a spokesman for the AAIU said: ‘Following an event such as this, many operators and agencies are anxious to learn if any matters are identified during the ongoing investigation that may require immediate safety actions.
‘An initial analysis has been conducted of the data retrieved from the helicopter’s Health and Usage Monitoring System and the Multi-Purpose Flight Recorder.
‘No mechanical anomalies have been identified during this initial analysis.’
The AAIU said a preliminary report will be issued in the near future. The agency again extended their condolences to the families of the Rescue 116 crew and ‘continues to work with other agencies to locate and recover the two missing crew members’.
Efforts to raise the wreckage of Rescue 116 were hampered again yesterday – day 19 of the search of for the downed crewmen – due to rough sea conditions around Blackrock Island.
North-west winds and a threemetre swell made it unsafe for divers to reach the wreckage 40 metres below sea level.
Captain Mark Duffy, 51, was buried this week following a funeral at St Oliver Plunkett Church in Blackrock, Co. Louth. His body was recovered from the wreckage of the cockpit by divers on Sunday.
The family of Mr Duffy’s Coast Guard colleague, Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, 45, who also died in the tragedy, and was laid to rest in Dublin on March 18, were also in attendance at the funeral.
The bodies of winchman Ciarán Smith, 38, and winch operator Paul Ormsby, 53, who were also killed in the crash, are yet to be recovered.
Naval Service divers had been attempting to tilt the aircraft, using inflatable lifting bags but this plan was abandoned when sea conditions proved too challenging.
Now, search and rescue operators are planning to try to lift the wreckage directly from the sea bed and bring it to the surface.
Divers will attach a bridle to the aircraft in an operation monitored by the Marine Institute’s Holland 1 Remotely Operated Vehicle.
It is hoped that the bodies of the missing crew members are in an area directly underneath the wreckage.
Last week, it was confirmed that there are marks on wreckage recovered from the Coast Guard aircraft consistent with R116 striking rocks.
The helicopter will ultimately be transferred to the AAIU facility in Gormanston, Co. Meath.
‘Anxious to see if safety matters identified’ Plan to lift wreckage from the sea bed