The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Darling resists safety probe
Politics: Helicopter inquiry calls opposed by former transport secretary
Former UK Government transport secretary Alistair Darling has refused to support Labour calls for a full public inquiry into helicopter safety in the North Sea.
The MP said the authorities should wait for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to publish its final report into the cause of a crash off the coast of Shetland last month which left four people dead.
Mr Darling, a Labour politician, said the AAIB investigators were “world experts” in their field and would “get to the bottom of” what went wrong.
Labour finance spokesman Iain Gray has urged the Scottish Government to launch a full public inquiry into the accident on August 23 to try to restore the confidence of North Sea workers in the helicopter transport system. The MSP said it would send out an “important signal” by backing the sort of investigation Lord Cullen led into the Piper Alpha disaster 25 years ago.
The same model of helicopter crashed off Peterhead, killing all 14 passengers and two crew on board in 2009.
The AAIB has already published an interim report into the crash which said there was no evidence yet of a technical failure.
Asked if he backed calls for a full public inquiry, former chancellor Mr Darling said: “What I would like to see, as soon as you can get it, is the Air Accident Investigations Branch inquiry.
“The UK AAIB, and I know because I used to be responsible for it, is one of the best in the world at getting to the bottom of what happened.
“Clearly because there have been a series of accidents involving these helicopters there are bound to be questions.
“But the AAIB said they were going to produce a report fairly quickly then decide what the best way to proceed is.”
Westminster’s transport select committee has launched an inquiry into helicopter safety after hearing “worrying evidence” that offshore workers have lost confidence in the aircraft. MPs could make recommendations to the government and industry leaders to improve safety.
Last month’s fatal crash wasthe fifth major incident involving Super Puma helicopters in just four years.