Norwegian oil giant Statoil has completed an investigation into the fatal helicopter accident that happened on April 29, 2016, when a helicopter carrying workers from a Statoil platform crashed into the Turøy island, near Bergen.
All passengers and pilots in a CHC Super Puma helicopter died on their way back to land, flying from the Statoil-operated Gullfaks B platform to Flesland when the Main Rotor Head (MRH) and mast suddenly detached from the Airbus Helicopters H225 type helicopter.
The helicopter then impacted on a small island east of Turøy. All thirteen people on board perished.
The accident caused all the Airbus H225 Super Puma helicopters for civil usage to be grounded, and the flight ban still remains in place, with some suggesting the helicopter type might no longer fly at all. A petition has been launched to retire the Super Puma, and it has so far attracted 27.000 signatures.
The Accident Investiation Board Norway (AIBN) found that the accident most likely was a result of a fatigue fracture in one of the eight-second stage planet gears. It appears that the fracture has propagated in a manner which is unlikely to become detected by existing mandatory or supplementary systems for warning of an imminent failure.
In-house investigation
While the Accident Investigation Board Norway is responsible for identifying the chain of events and causes of the accident, Statoil in May decided to launch an in-house investigation.
The company then said the aim was to identify measures to improve Statoil’s helicopter safety work on the NCS, and to learn from the emergency response to the accident.
Statoil said on Friday that its investigation showed Statoil’s helicopter safety work on the NCS is good.
At the same time, the report stresses that the industry’s efficiency improvement efforts and increased focus on costs must not compromise safety, emphasising that a possible introduction in Norway of common European safety requirements will change the risk picture associated with helicopter operations.
“We will follow up on the recommendations given by the investigation to enhance Statoil’s helicopter safety and emergency response. Our clear ambition is to maintain our leading role in further developing and enhancing the existing helicopter safety standard. The report provides a good basis for ensuring an optimal organization and holistic approach to this,” says Statoil’s chief operating officer, Anders Opedal.
“The Turøy accident was a tragedy for all those affected, and for the seven companies that lost close colleagues. It is essential that everyone working offshore can be confident in helicopter transportation. We will now, together with the oil and gas industry, government authorities, helicopter operators, and union representatives use findings in the report to further improve safety,” says Statoil’s executive vice president for Development and Production Norway, Arne Sigve Nylund.
Statoil says its investigation concluded that, on the whole, Statoil’s emergency response to the Turøy helicopter accident, from mobilization in the morning of Friday 29 April 2016 to demobilization in the morning of Monday 2 May 2016, is considered good.
Below are the key elements Statoil shared on Friday, related to helicopter safety and emergency response
Key elements in relation to helicopter safety:
Key elements in relation to emergency response:
Here one can find a full report by Statoil (PDF in Norwegian)