Chopper pilot gets his rigs in a muddle
A HELICOPTER pilot landed on the wrong North Sea oil rig after deciding to fly manually rather than using the aircraft’s automated flight controls.
The Sikorsky S-92A was carrying out multiple stops on different rigs when the incident happened.
The helicopter landed on the ENSCO 120 platform in the Golden Eagle complex in the North Sea after mistaking it for the Buzzard complex helideck.
Realising their mistake, the crew immediately advised the rig operator of their error.
The pilot knew that there was a company requirement to keep the aircraft on the landing pad with the rotors spinning until given clearance for takeoff.
However, he decided to leave the rig immediately because he noticed there were no obstructions or cranes in operation giving him a clear path to leave the installation.
A report into the incident, which happened in August 2014, was published by the Air Accident Investigation Branch yesterday.
The report found that the crew should have used on-board navigation systems while carrying out passenger and cargo transfer to multiple North Sea installations.
The helicopter was tasked with dropping off passengers and freight at the Scott platform 116 miles north-east of Aberdeen and the Paragon semi-submersible rig before finishing the trip at the Buzzard complex.
The commander was an experienced offshore pilot and the co-pilot had limited offshore experience. Both were relatively new to S-92A helicopters.
While on the Paragon MSS1 helideck, the co-pilot found out that another company helicopter was due to arrive at the Buzzard platform at about the same time. But the other crew had been told to slow down to let the S-92A land on the Buzzard helideck first.
The report noted that the discussions between both pilots had been ‘busy and confusing’. The S-92A landed on the ENSCO 120 platform as it fitted the ‘mental image and expectation’ the pilot had of the aircraft’s destination.
The AAIB noted that the operator carried out a prompt internal investigation and identified several potential safety actions.
A Bond spokesman said: ‘A thorough investigation has highlighted a series of recommendations to reduce the chances of a similar event occurring again.’