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Super Puma fatal accident inquiry: Helicopter 'fell like a torpedo' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A seaman who saw a helicopter crash "like a torpedo", killing 16 men, has told a fatal accident inquiry the rotor blades came down several seconds after the fuselage of the Super Puma. | |
In a statement to the first day of the inquiry into the 2009 crash, the crewman of the Normand Aurora said he heard the helicopter fly over his ship followed by a sudden silence. | |
He saw "an oblong shape falling like a torpedo into the sea". | |
Four rotor blades then landed. | |
The statement read: "There was a big splash then white smoke. | |
"I saw four black rotor blades falling out of the sky. It fell to about the same place." | |
The ship then launched a fast rescue boat to the scene, where eight bodies were found floating on the water. | |
Earlier, the sheriff refused a bid for technical logs to be produced for all Bond helicopters operating out of Aberdeen at the time of the Super Puma crash. | |
The FAI was told a fault on the main gearbox was detected on 23 March 2009, eight days before the crash. | |
The inquiry heard there was an initial view it should be replaced. | The inquiry heard there was an initial view it should be replaced. |
It was not, and an investigation found it was the reason for the crash. | It was not, and an investigation found it was the reason for the crash. |
The inquiry was asked to compel Bond to produce the documents to help determine whether workload was the reason the gearbox was not replaced. | The inquiry was asked to compel Bond to produce the documents to help determine whether workload was the reason the gearbox was not replaced. |
Derek Pyle, Sheriff Principal for Grampian, Highlands and Islands, refused the application. | Derek Pyle, Sheriff Principal for Grampian, Highlands and Islands, refused the application. |
All 14 passengers and two crew lost their lives in April 2009, when the Bond helicopter came down in the North Sea. | All 14 passengers and two crew lost their lives in April 2009, when the Bond helicopter came down in the North Sea. |
Relatives have said the FAI had been a "long, long time" coming. | Relatives have said the FAI had been a "long, long time" coming. |
The inquiry, which is being held in Aberdeen Town House, is expected to last six weeks. | The inquiry, which is being held in Aberdeen Town House, is expected to last six weeks. |
The sheriff principal has said his determination will be released as early as possible. | The sheriff principal has said his determination will be released as early as possible. |
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report blamed a catastrophic gear box failure for the crash, which happened 12 miles off Peterhead and left no survivors. | An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report blamed a catastrophic gear box failure for the crash, which happened 12 miles off Peterhead and left no survivors. |
Safety paramount | |
A police investigation ended with the Crown Office deciding there was insufficient evidence for any prosecutions - a decision that angered families of the victims. | A police investigation ended with the Crown Office deciding there was insufficient evidence for any prosecutions - a decision that angered families of the victims. |
Eight of those who died came from the north east of Scotland, seven from the rest of the UK, and one from Latvia. | Eight of those who died came from the north east of Scotland, seven from the rest of the UK, and one from Latvia. |
Audrey Wood, who lost son Stuart, 27, from Aberdeen, told BBC Scotland before the FAI got under way: "It has been a long, long five years. The suffering is exceptional, the families should not have had to wait this long. | Audrey Wood, who lost son Stuart, 27, from Aberdeen, told BBC Scotland before the FAI got under way: "It has been a long, long five years. The suffering is exceptional, the families should not have had to wait this long. |
"The FAI is used as a fact-finding inquiry, we look at it as a fault-finding inquiry. | "The FAI is used as a fact-finding inquiry, we look at it as a fault-finding inquiry. |
"Hopefully we will get answers. Safety should be paramount." | "Hopefully we will get answers. Safety should be paramount." |
She added: "Woody was always a fun-filled guy, very family-orientated. We dearly miss him." | She added: "Woody was always a fun-filled guy, very family-orientated. We dearly miss him." |
The two crew who died were Capt Paul Burnham, 31, of Methlick, Aberdeenshire, and co-pilot Richard Menzies, 24, of Droitwich Spa, who worked for Bond Offshore Helicopters. | The two crew who died were Capt Paul Burnham, 31, of Methlick, Aberdeenshire, and co-pilot Richard Menzies, 24, of Droitwich Spa, who worked for Bond Offshore Helicopters. |
The KCA Deutag employees killed were Brian Barkley, 30, of Aberdeen; Vernon Elrick, 41, of Aberdeen; Leslie Taylor, 41, of Kintore, Aberdeenshire; Nairn Ferrier, 40, of Dundee; Gareth Hughes, 53, of Angus; David Rae, 63, of Dumfries; Raymond Doyle, 57, of Cumbernauld; James John Edwards, 33, of Liverpool; Nolan Goble, 34, of Norwich, and Mihails Zuravskis, 39, of Latvia. | The KCA Deutag employees killed were Brian Barkley, 30, of Aberdeen; Vernon Elrick, 41, of Aberdeen; Leslie Taylor, 41, of Kintore, Aberdeenshire; Nairn Ferrier, 40, of Dundee; Gareth Hughes, 53, of Angus; David Rae, 63, of Dumfries; Raymond Doyle, 57, of Cumbernauld; James John Edwards, 33, of Liverpool; Nolan Goble, 34, of Norwich, and Mihails Zuravskis, 39, of Latvia. |
The other victims were James Costello, 24, of Aberdeen, who was contracted to Production Services Network (PSN); Alex Dallas, 62, of Aberdeen, who worked for Sparrows Offshore Services; Warren Mitchell, 38, of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, who worked for Weatherford UK; and Stuart Wood, 27, of Aberdeen, who worked for Expro North Sea Ltd. | The other victims were James Costello, 24, of Aberdeen, who was contracted to Production Services Network (PSN); Alex Dallas, 62, of Aberdeen, who worked for Sparrows Offshore Services; Warren Mitchell, 38, of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, who worked for Weatherford UK; and Stuart Wood, 27, of Aberdeen, who worked for Expro North Sea Ltd. |