North Sea News

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Bond to Be Sued for Puma Ditching

Oil workers on a Super Puma which ditched into the North Sea have launched legal action against the helicopter operator.

A total of 10 of the 14 people on board the aircraft at the time are suing Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd.


Passengers on the bond helicopter wish to receive compensation similar to that which is expected to be paid out to passengers on board a CHC Puma in the same year

Everyone on the Bond EC 225 Super Puma survived the ditching, which happened 30 miles east of Aberdeen in May 2012.

Now 10 of the workers have lodged actions at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Lisa Gregory, who is representing the crew members, confirmed her clients had started legal proceedings against Bond.

The men taking action are Simon Borton, of Renfrewshire; Peter Clementson, of Portlethen; James Foreman, of Montrose; Kris Green, of Huntly; Jason Haylett, of Great Yarmouth; Raed Mansour, of Edinburgh; David McCarroll, of Liverpool; Sergejs Novikovs of Balozi, Latvia; Matthew Ralph, of Bristol; and William Strachan, of Fraserburgh.

No one from Bond was available to comment.

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news...ching-1.455097

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

MPs Demand Public Inquiry into Safety of Helicopters for Offshore Rig Workers

The safety of helicopters transporting workers to offshore rigs must be scrutinised at a full public inquiry, MPs have demanded, questioning the role of the regulator and checking a "creeping complacency" in safety standards.

The transport select committee said in a report published on Tuesday the inquiry should address whether commercial pressure from oil and gas companies was putting workers at risk.

The Civil Aviation Authority conducted a wide-ranging review of offshore helicopter operations after a series of accidents and incidents in the North Sea, culminating in the crash of a Super Puma, killing four, last August near Shetland. It reported in February with a range of recommendations to improve safety on flights.


An S-92 helicopter on a Forties Field platform

However, Louise Ellman, chair of the transport committee, said serious questions remained unanswered. She said: "After four accidents in five years, offshore workers' confidence in helicopter safety is understandably low. Despite work by the CAA, serious questions remain unanswered about offshore helicopter safety in the competitive commercial environment of the North Sea. We fear a creeping complacency may be affecting safety standards.

"The role and effectiveness of the CAA has not been adequately examined. Only a full and independent public inquiry would have the power and authority to investigate properly."

"Workers in the offshore industry have the right to know everything possible is being done to keep them safe. We call for the CAA to ensure that helicopter operators review all safety arrangements to guarantee all are fit for purpose."

In the report, the committee said that regulatory inertia at the European Aviation Safety Agency was exposing offshore workers to unnecessary risk by slowing down the implementation of safety improvements, and demanded that the government push the agency to make changes recommended by accident investigators rapidly and transparently.

The report said there was evidence of "a macho bullying culture" in the oil and gas industry, which had seen workers told to work elsewhere when they raised concerns about helicopter safety.

It also recommended that the Air Accident Investigation Board keep crash survivors better informed on the progress of its investigations in future.

The CAA responded to the committee's criticism by saying that safety improvements were being implemented as a priority. It said: "Any loss of life in aviation accidents is always tragic and the safety of those who rely on offshore helicopter flights is therefore our absolute priority.

"In February we announced over 70 actions and recommendations to improve safety, primarily aimed at preventing accidents, but also to improve survivability following an incident. These were widely welcomed by unions, helicopter operators, the oil and gas industry and Norwegian regulators and are bringing significant improvements in safety for those flying offshore in the UK and potentially worldwide.

"The new CAA-led Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group is ensuring operators and industry implement these changes as quickly as possible. It has already overseen the approval of a new significantly enhanced underwater emergency breathing system for offshore workers. This new system will be rolled out across the UK offshore industry this summer and autumn, with accompanying training."

The pilots' union Balpa welcomed the MPs' report. Its general secretary, Jim McAuslan, said it added "further weight to the urgent need for safety improvements". He said: "Pilots are working with the CAA and operators to improve helicopter safety offshore and support the committee's call for a public inquiry. This should examine issues highlighted in the report including the safety risks of commercial pressure on operators and ensuring the CAA retains full control over regulating offshore flights rather than delegating to an ill-equipped European regulator."

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...fshore-crashes

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Helicopter Crew 'Feared Autopilot Error'

An incident report on the events surrounding the dangerous descent of a Dancopter EC155 on 6th November 2013 in the North Sea has concluded that the pilots mistakenly thought the aircraft was not performing correctly. The helicopter was carrying eight gas platform workers and had descended to within 50ft of the water.

The pilots' incorrect assumption was due to a "combination of technical and organisational factors, which led them to depart from normal operating parameters", the report said.


The Dancopter EC155B1 which was involved in the incident

The two-man crew "clearly believed the autopilot was not functioning correctly both during and after the event", added the report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

The captain's decision to select an exaggerated nose-down attitude just after the Eurocopter EC155B1 aircraft had taken off from the Clipper gas production platform in the southern North Sea was "made out of concern for the helicopter's apparently poor performance".

This arose "because of the weighing and fuel gauging errors which had existed undetected for some time".

The high rate of descent, in which airspeed reduced below 20 knots (about 23mph) was arrested about 50ft above the sea surface and the captain climbed to normal cruise height, with the helicopter landing at Norwich airport. Described by the AAIB as a "serious incident", the events occurred on the evening of November 6 last year - weeks after four people died in a North Sea Super Puma helicopter accident.

The report said the effect of the weighing and fuel gauging errors was "a major influence on the commander's subsequent actions". The AAIB said a number of safety actions had since been taken.

http://www.aviationtoday.com/the-che...U74zk5SSwnk

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/...b1__oy_hjj.cfm

http://www.dancopter.dk/en

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

CAA Moves to Performance Based Safety Regulation in Wake of North Sea Accidents

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) aims to become a performance-based regulator over the next two years following the findings of a report into a series of helicopters accidents in the North Sea, the last of which resulted in four fatalities.

Following the crash of the CHC Scotia AS332 L2 Super Puma (G-WSNB) on its approach to Sumburgh, in the Shetland Isles, on Aug. 23, 2013, CAA conducted a safety review of offshore public transport helicopter operations serving the oil and gas sector. The ensuing document, CAP145, was published on Feb. 20, 2014.

Speaking during the first day of the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Technology: Friend of Foe conference (July 3-4) in London, Mark Swan, CAA’s director of Safety and Airspace Regulation, told delegates that his organization wanted to provide performance-based regulation with a focus on risk first. He said that the CAA was six months into a two-year process.

Human factors were key and Swan questioned whether technology complexity issues were being sufficiently addressed by the industry and operators. He said that fatalities should never be “normalized” and the immediate reaction after Sumburgh was to address the issues raised, particularly with regard to human factors.

Swan said that the driving force behind producing a quick report had been to get safety measures introduced in the shortest feasible time. There had been several positive results from CAP1145 and the discussions within the Helicopter Safety Action Group, which comprised manufacturers, operators and other specialists: it produced a strong stance on safety; initiated real changes to improve safety; and improved communication to the industry.
One of the results was that the Emergency Breathing System (EBS) for passengers would begin being rolled out from July this year and be compulsory from January 2015.

The RAeS Technology conference, largely created by longstanding member Jim Lyons of the RAeS’ Rotorcraft Committee, gathered together a wide range of industry operators and rotorcraft specialists to discuss whether the increasing complexity of helicopter avionics is providing crews with a wider range of benefits or contributing to human factor issues.

Representatives from a range of operators provided presentations, including CHC, Bristow and Bond, together with others who addressed the complexity of helicopters.

Two speakers, Capt. Lloyd Watson of Shell Aircraft International and Capt. Mark Cameron of Emirates Airlines, drew on lessons learned by the fixed-wing industry and suggested that some could be transferred over to the rotorcraft sector. Watson said that safety was compromised as systems increased in complexity away from being user friendly. He said that the introduction of new technology required training so that the impact could be reassessed and that some complex systems could increase workload rather than simplify procedures for the aircrew.

Cameron added: “Exotic devices create exotic problems,” and stressed the need for the aircrew to be constantly aware of what the aircraft would do next, rather than retreat from the areas that the avionics were taking over. “Pilots still need airmanship,” he said, adding that they are required to retain their resilience, suspicion and airmanship.

http://www.aviationtoday.com/the-che...l#.U74zk5SSwnk

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Bristow EC225 Forced to Shutdown Offshore

18 oil workers were left on a North Sea rig after the helicopter due to take them home started leaking fluid, the Evening Express can reveal today.

The problem with the Airbus EC225 was discovered as the Ensco 102 rig workers queued up to board the helicopter.

Checks revealed the fluid was leaking both inside and outside the aircraft.


A Bristow EC225

And because the workers couldn’t leave, the rig became overcrowded with staff having to bed share.

Bristow Helicopters today confirmed an Airbus EC225 helicopter had to shutdown on the rig following a “fluid leak”.

Workers spent an extra two days on the rig waiting for a replacement helicopter.

A spokeswoman for Bristow Helicopters said: “We can confirm one of our Airbus EC225 helicopters had cause to shutdown on an offshore installation on Thursday at approximately 1pm following a suspected fluid leak.

“The aircraft underwent a full inspection and was subsequently declared serviceable on July 11th".

“Flight safety is Bristow’s first priority and we will always investigate prior to further flight.”

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news...opter-1.472914

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Bristow Performs First UK AW189 Flight

Bristow Helicopters has performed the first commercial flight with the new AgustaWestland AW189 super-medium helicopter from its UK, Norwich base.

Taking place on Monday 21 July, Bristow used the 8.3t rotorcraft to transport eight passengers for customer GDF Suez E&P from its facility in the east of the UK to the Cygnus field in the southern North Sea.


Offshore workers board Bristow AW189 G-OENA for the first commercial flight of the type

The helicopter (G-OENA) is the first of two of the type to be stationed at the Norwich site, and will perform the 240nm (444km) return flight once daily. The frequency could be raised to three times per day as the new field develops, says Bristow.

Bristow has a further four of the General Electric CT7-powered AW189s on order for oil and gas missions, configured in a 16-passenger layout.

Mike Imlach, managing director, Bristow Helicopters says it is “excited to be the launch customer” for the helicopter, which received EASA certification earlier this year.

Bristow will also use a fleet of 11 AW189s to perform search and rescue missions in the UK when it takes over the contract from the nation’s armed forces from 2015.

AgustaWestland have so far taken firm orders for 80 AW189's.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ervice-401906/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Wiking Awarded Wind Farm Contract

Denmark's Dong Energy has awarded an emergency medical services support contract to Germany's Wiking Helikopter Service who will supply EMS support for the future and existing offshore wind farm operations.


A Wiking Helikopter AW109S

The installations to be covered in the agreement include Gode Wind 1 & 2 and Borkum Riffgrund 1 & 2.

Wiking will provide these services from their base at Jade Weser Airport near Willemshaven.

http://renews.biz/71038/dong-vattenf...chopper-deals/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Uni-Fly Awarded Wind Farm Contract

Sweden's Vattenfall Energy has awarded a crew transfer contract to Denmark's Uni-Fly who will provide logistics and construction support as well as an option for medical support services.


A Uni-Fly EC135

A further contract option makes provision for Uni-Fly to support Vattenfall's development of the DanTysk farm off the German coast.

Uni-Fly is based at Hans Christian Andersen airport near Odense on Funen and has previously conducted work at both Horns Rev and Horns Rev 2 wind farms using Eurocopter EC135's.

http://renews.biz/71038/dong-vattenf...chopper-deals/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

S-92 Landing at Aberdeen

Earlier this week (Tuesday 29th) a CHC S-92 required the assistance of ground crew when the flight crew failed to obtain a "three greens" confirmation on the status of the aircraft's landing gear.


A CHC S-92 enters the hover at Aberdeen Airport in order to allow ground crew to assist in releasing the aircraft's nose gear


A CHC S-92 at Aberdeen Airport having its nose gear manually lowered

After a fly-by it was ascertained that the S-92's nose gear had not lowered. The aircraft then established a hover so that ground crew could manually pull down the nose gear. This action resulted in the illumination of the "third green".

Following the manual lowering of the undercarriage the helicopter went on to perform a normal landing and there was no further incident.

AN.

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

G-ASWI Memorial Finally Unveiled

A memorial to the 13 souls which perished aboard Bristow Wessex G-ASWI in 1981 has finally been unveiled 33 years after the tragedy.

The aircraft had been travelling from a gas rig in the Leman field to Bacton gas terminal in North Norfolk on 13th August 1981 when its pilot sent a distress call reporting an engine failure. Moments later radar contact was lost and a search and rescue helicopter from RAF Coltishall was scrambled.


A memorial service was held today, 13th August 2014, at St. Nicholas Church in Yarmouth to commemorate those who lost their lives on-board G-ASWI 33 years ago

Among the 11 passengers and two crew who died in the crash off the coast of Happisburgh was 28-year-old Stephen Harvey.

His parents, Joyce and Paul Harvey, from Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth, have spent the past 33 years campaigning for a permanent memorial to the 13 men who lost their lives.


The memorial which commemorates those who perished in the crash

Today, they attended a special ceremony at St Nicholas' Church in Yarmouth, alongside Stephen's wife Jill, when it was finally unveiled.

"You never ever really get over it, but you just have to learn to live with it and there is not a day goes by that I don't think of him, so it's really nice to be able to put this memorial in place" said Jill Gibling.

The Westland Wessex helicopter operated by Bristow Helicopters (G-ASWI) was never fully recovered from the crash site.


Ambulance crews as seen on standby on 13th August 1981 in Great Yarmouth

An Inquest at the time recorded an open verdict stating there was insufficient evidence to determine the exact cause of the crash.


The ill-fated G-ASWI, a Westland Wessex Mk60, as seen at Farnborough on 20th September 1958 while serving as a demonstration aircraft for Westland Helicopters (Photo: Alex Christie)

Despite many unanswered questions, Stephen's parents said today was, for them, the end of an era and that they felt great relief that the names of the 13 men who died in the tragedy were finally there for all to see.

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2014-...r-disaster/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

G-WNSB Memorial Service

A memorial service remembering the lives of those who perished aboard G-WNSB on 23rd August 2013 will be held at Sumburgh Airport to mark the first anniversary of the crash which occurred off the coast of Shetland. Four passengers were killed when the CHC operated AS332L Super Puma crashed into the sea while making its approach to Sumburgh Airport.


G-WNSB which crashed in August last year

The memorial service will be held on Saturday at the Sumburgh Airport memorial site, attended by members of the emergency services and airport workers.

A wreath will be also placed in the sea by airport fire service staff from their fast rescue boat and local search and rescue helicopters will carry out a flypast as the wreath is laid. The memorial is dedicated to those who have lost their lives in aircraft accidents in Shetland over the past three decades.

Members of the local community are invited to attend the service which will take place at 4.45pm.


Sumburgh Airport

Memorial committee chairman Nigel Flaws said: “As we approach the anniversary of the helicopter crash, we are extending an invitation to members of the local community who may wish to join us in paying their respects to those who lost their lives in this incident.”

The memorial site is positioned to the east of the main terminal building at Sumburgh Airport and is accessible from the car park, along the eastern shoreline.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...pter-crash/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Nelson Platform Evacuated

Nearly 150 oil workers had to be flown off a North Sea platform after a power cut left it in darkness.

A total of 148 non-essential rig personnel were flown off oil giant Shell’s Nelson platform by helicopter on Tuesday 19th August.

And one of the helicopters making the transfer to an offshore accommodation unit had to make an unscheduled landing on another oil platform after a cockpit light came on.


Shell's Nelson Platform which is situated 124 miles from Aberdeen. The platform includes subsea tiebacks to the Howe and Bardolino fields, with oil exported to the Forties Pipeline System and gas exported to the Fulmar pipeline to St Fergus

A Shell spokeswoman yesterday described the rig incident as a “non-emergency” situation.

She said: “Shell UK Limited can confirm that there was a power outage on the Nelson platform, which is located approximately 124 miles east north-east of Aberdeen.

“Nelson was shut down for maintenance at the time and was not producing oil or gas.

“Work to restore main power on the platform continues with essential staff on board.

“As a precaution a non-emergency operation to remove staff to the nearby Borgholm Dolphin flotel was carried out yesterday.

“Personnel will be transported back to the Nelson platform or to Aberdeen over the next 48 hours as appropriate. There are no reports of any injuries as a result of this outage.

“The relevant authorities have been informed.”

Only 19 of the the 167 staff on board were left on the platform following the downmanning.

The platform was not producing oil or gas at the time of the blackout.

CHC confirmed that one of their helicopters was diverted to an Apache-operated platform in the Forties field before completing the passenger transfer.

It is understood it was not an emergency situation.

A spokeswoman for helicopter firm CHC said: “A helicopter was diverted and landed safely on the Forties Delta platform after a cockpit light was observed by the pilot.”

The power outage took place on the Nelson platform, 124 miles north east of Aberdeen, just before 6am on Tuesday.

The rig was undergoing planned maintenance when there was a loss of power at 5.50am.

RMT regional organiser Jake Molloy said yesterday that Shell had done “the right thing” in the circumstances.

He said: “Shell contacted us and gave us a briefing on this - a pre-cautionary downmanning due to a lack of power.

“This is what should be done in those circumstances.

“If there is no power for the life support services - air conditioning, lighting and such - you have got to put the guys to a place of safety - in this case the Borgholm Dolphin.

“Shell said it was hoping to get the platform up and running again as soon as possible.

“You can’t leave people on installations when you have power outages.”

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotlan...tage-1-3515932

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Bond Pilots Suspended

Two pilots have been suspended and an investigation launched after a North Sea helicopter landed on the wrong oil rig.

The Bond-operated S-92 helicopter with one passenger on board had been set for the Buzzard platform – about 60 miles north of Aberdeen. But instead it made an unscheduled landing on the Nexen-operated Ensco 120 jack-up rig – about nine nautical miles away. Last night, Bond confirmed two employees had been removed from the flight roster while an investigation takes place.

One concerned oil worker said: “When this chopper landed on the rig the radio operator called the helicopter and said ‘can we help you?’. They replied ‘we appear to have landed on the wrong rig’.


A Bond-operated S-92

“Most helicopter accidents occur on approach or departure – you must have a crew on the rig ready to receive the helicopter and a standby boat there to offer help if needed.

When a chopper is approaching a rig you are not allowed to move cranes – the rig was fully operational with cranes working.

“Most of the time the crane operator is the helicopter landing officer so that takes care of the problem.”

The aircraft, which can potentially carry up to 19 passengers, is understood to have left Aberdeen Airport at 5.30pm on Friday.

It made a number of scheduled landings before arriving at the unprepared Ensco 120 rig at around 7pm.

The oil worker added: “Lives have been put at risk because of this – it’s unbelievable that in this day and age they could have got this so wrong.”

Jake Molloy, regional organiser of the RMT union, said it was difficult to understand how such a mistake could have been made.

“We have had landings on the wrong deck before, but they have normally been very close to one another,” he said.

“Nine miles apart is difficult to comprehend when the pilots have to call in to the helideck asking for clearance, and the helicopter landing officer should have it in sight.

“This is an area that has to be looked at carefully and hopefully lessons can be learned.”

Helicopter safety campaigner and north-east MSP Lewis Macdonald described the incident as “concerning”.

He said: “Clearly, everybody who uses helicopters – and their families – needs to have confidence in the systems and procedures used by companies like Bond and anything that undermines that confidence must be investigated urgently.

“An incident such as this is bound to throw up questions and concerns.”

A spokesman for Bond confirmed two crewmen had been suspended as a result of the incident.

He said: “We can confirm an S-92 helicopter landed safely on the deck of a platform which was not on the original flight plan.

“Both pilots have been removed from the flying roster pending an investigation.”

http://www.energyvoice.com/2014/08/p...nds-wrong-rig/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

No Skirts Offshore

Women travelling to and from offshore oil and gas installations are now banned from wearing skirts and dresses as part of new safety measures.

Passengers will also have to wear three layers of clothing under their survival suits in winter, and two in summer.

The standardised clothing policy is designed to improve the chance of survival for workers if helicopters have to ditch into the sea.

Shorts, hoodies, high-heels and sandals have also been banned.

The offshore helicopter industry has been trying to improve safety since four people died when a helicopter ditched off Shetland in August last year.

The offshore union the RMT said it welcomed the new rules because they created clarity for those working in the industry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...nd-29428825

Editor's Note:
The BBC have not made clear from where this ruling has emerged. In any case it would surely take 'Houdinian skills' for a woman to wear a skirt or dress beneath the current regulation immersion suits!

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Oil & Gas UK Hosts Safety Briefing

The continuing steps being taken to improve further the safety of offshore helicopter flights will be outlined to the oil and gas sector on Thursday (October 2) in a meeting organised by Oil & Gas UK which will be held at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Seven months after the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) published its ‘CAP1145’ report containing a series of actions and recommendations for helicopter safety, Oil & Gas UK is hosting a helicopter safety breakfast briefing at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Mark Swan, group director, safety and airspace regulation with the CAA, will give a talk about the report at an event entitled: "Safety in the North Sea - What is the future for our Helicopters?" sponsored by Petrotechnics.

Robert Paterson, health, safety and employment issues director at Oil & Gas UK said: “Understandably there has been a significantly increased focus on post-incident safety and survivability. There is, however, a considerable amount of work being undertaken to ensure helicopter travel is even safer. Improvements in safety are being identified, assessed and delivered in a collaborative effort involving helicopter operators, aircraft manufacturers, regulators, oil and gas companies, and groups that represent passengers. Hopefully this breakfast briefing will go some way to help further restore confidence in the safety of helicopter operations.”

Following Mr Swan’s talk, he will participate in a question and answer session together with the following panellists: Mark Abbey, Regional Director Western North Sea, CHC Helicopter; Luke Farajallah, Managing Director, Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd; and Tim Glasspool, Head of Flight Operations (Europe), Bristow Helicopters Ltd.

Mr Swan added: “The safety of those who use offshore helicopter flights is our absolutely priority. When we published our review of the area in February a lot of the attention was understandably focused on changes around survivability, but actually the vast majority of the actions and recommendations in our report are aimed at the prevention of accidents through improved helicopter design, operations, and aspects of training and maintenance.”

http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/news/news.cfm/newsid/1067

[HeliHub News]

Bond Preparing for Closure of Blackpool Airport

British operator Bond has been supporting gas rigs on the Irish Sea since at least 1978 when they took delivery of an initial pair of SA365C Dauphins. In reality very little has changed over the years apart from a short term change of operator – Bond still fly Dauphins from Blackpool, but these days they are 365N3 models.

On Monday, Blackpool Airport owners Balfour Beatty issued a statement saying “On 28 August 2014, we announced our intention to find a buyer for the airport operating company. The airport operations have been making a loss for a number of years and we are currently exploring a number of options in an attempt to secure the future of the airport. We regretfully confirm that if no agreement can be reached before 7 October 2014 which ensures the viability of its operations, then it is likely that the airport operations will close. In this event, we expect that the last commercial flights will take place on Wednesday 15 October 2014.”

Susan Kendrick, Corporate Affairs Manager of the airport told us “We are currently exploring a number of options in an attempt to secure the future of the airport, this includes working closely with interested parties such as Bond Offshore Helicopters”, which adds nothing new to Monday’s statement

Meanwhile, Bond have confirmed to HeliHub.com that they are working with Blackpool airport and their customers, to ensure continuity of services. They also confirmed they are currently in discussions with a number of alternative airfields, although in reality that probably boils down to Liverpool, Liverpool and Liverpool (in that order).

Outside possibilities could include:

• Walney Island – Difficult road access
• Warton – Military aircraft manufacturing facility owned by BAE Systems. Seems unlikely but continues to be used as base for Lancashire Police helicopter, now part of NPAS
• Woodvale – Run by the military, and was used as base for Merseyside Police helicopter

http://helihub.com/2014/10/01/uk-bon...kpool-airport/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

New Offshore Operator Group to Advocate Safety

Offshore helicopter operators have clearly been hurt by events over the past few years. A series of accidents – mostly but not exclusively on the UK side of the North Sea – that culminated in the August 2013 fatal crash of a CHC Scotia-operated Super Puma near Shetland have led to unprecedented scrutiny of the sector’s safety record.

Aside from the regular accident investigations and fatal accident inquiries in the courts, UK regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as well as politicians, have weighed in with separate reports into offshore helicopter safety.

The industry has not stood still, however. In the wake of the Shetland accident, the North Sea’s big three – Avincis (parent of Bond Offshore Helicopters), Bristow Group and CHC Helicopter – came together to launch the Joint Operators Review (JOR), which aimed to drive safety improvement through sharing best practice.

But now the industry’s ambitions have grown. A new global safety organisation called Heli Offshore is to formally launch later this month. Its founder members include the three operators mentioned above, plus fellow US firms PHI and Era Group. In all, around 80% of the global offshore fleet is accounted for by the five companies.

Based in London, Heli Offshore will be led by Gretchen Haskins, an expert in human factors and former board member and safety director at the CAA and UK air navigation service provider NATS.

A small room inside a serviced office building in central London is the current home of the fledgling organisation. A rabbit warren of identical-looking corridors leads to its meeting room – signposted by a piece of printed A4 paper taped to the door. Inside, large photographs of the operators’ helicopters decorate the walls, and on the window ledge there are several perspex plaques commemorating the occasion of the first board meeting, held on 18 September.

“It’s quite a special thing – the CEOs are putting aside competitiveness to join together on this. We wanted to mark the date of the first board meeting,” says Haskins.

Although the mundane business of ushering a non-for-profit limited company into being formed part of the discussions at the first meeting, the board also quickly got down to the task at hand. “The JOR workstreams are already up and running and we want to make sure we hit the ground running on the key safety priorities,” says Haskins.

Plans to tackle each of those priorities will be drawn up – addressing them not through what Haskins describes as “best endeavours”, but through “a clear, resourced plan with dates and deliverables” that will serve to “mobilise those five companies”. Previously the JOR relied on ad hoc resource from the three members.

The workstreams are those already developed by the JOR, dealing with automation, training, manufacturing, emergency response and safety information, with another focused on health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) data. “[HUMS] is built to be a safety tool – we need to make sure it gets used worldwide in the best possible way,” Haskins says.

The analysis of a huge amount of data drawn from HUMS, flight management systems and line-orientated safety audits will also form a core part of its work.

Although a global organisation, Heli Offshore’s intention is not to push for uniform regulation across every jurisdiction. However, says Haskins, if a country’s proposed rules appear inadequate, the industry now has a platform from which to raise questions and present dissenting views.

Heli Offshore’s core membership will be drawn from operators themselves, with other interested parties allowed to sign up as “client” or “alliance” members. This includes the four Western helicopter manufacturers – who Haskins is confident will join as it represents a “very valuable” opportunity “to hear from operators what would make the biggest difference to them”. Those travelling in the rear of the helicopters will also get a seat at the table, with trade unions also welcome to join.

Despite recent history, Haskins is a little equivocal when it comes to the question of whether or not offshore helicopters operators have a safety problem. “Compare it to walking across the street – well, it’s safer than that,” she says. “Compare it to commercial aviation and there’s some way to go. But we want to take on that challenge.”

One of the board’s goals, she says, is to ensure that the offshore accident rate is at least equal to, or ideally better than, that of the commercial aviation industry.

She also rejects a suggestion made by UK politicians that profit motives may be adversely affecting helicopter safety, noting that although the organisation “won’t ignore it” she has “not seen evidence” to support the allegation.

Haskins stresses that Heli Offshore is not there to police the industry. “I’m more into safety improvement and achieving those goals rather than holding someone’s feet to the fire,” she says. “The biggest safety advances come when people are working together to achieve those aims.”

This collaboration is perhaps the unique feature of Heli Offshore. Even if one operator believes their priorities are different, “they don’t change that much from one company to another, or even from one country to another”. And the huge “mobilisation” of resources across the companies will lead to “new ways of solving the problems”.

Haskins describes herself as “genuinely excited” by the “golden opportunity” presented by Heli Offshore and its “structured, clear remit to share, develop and implement best practice”.

“What I see from the CEOs is a real ownership of the issue and a commitment to the safety of the passengers and crew on their aircraft.

“Once you have that, you have what you need to drive consistently higher levels of safety,” she says.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ety-404343/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Seating by Size to be Introduced on North Sea Flights

New rules are to be introduced on the size of oil workers travelling to and from offshore installations by helicopter.

Passengers with a shoulder width of 22 inches or more will be classed as "extra broad" and will have to sit next to a similarly large helicopter window.

It follows a Civil Aviation Authority review of helicopter safety.

Concerns were raised about larger passengers being able to escape from a crashed aircraft quickly.


Passengers with a shoulder width exceeding 22 inches will be assigned specific seats close to large windows

The changes come after a study revealed the average oil worker had risen in weight by close to 20% over the past 30 years.

There were concerns that size had become a risk factor in helicopter accidents, with larger workers finding it harder to leave helicopters during emergencies due to the size of the exits.

Now those classed as "extra broad" will have to sit next to a window with a diagonal width of at least 22 inches.

The offshore safety body Step Change said at least 25% of helicopter windows meet the new criteria.

It said there would be ongoing discussion about how, when and where passengers would be measured.

The move follows other changes to the helicopter safety regime - including strict new clothing rules for passengers introduced last week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...tland-29502334

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Flight International Calls Offshore Safety Record "Disappointing"

The North Sea is an unforgiving environment. Helicopters flying there are operating in some of the most challenging conditions possible.

However, that does not excuse the industry’s recent disappointing safety record.

Nonetheless, among rotorcraft operators there is a realisation that things cannot continue as they were.

Last year, the three biggest firms working in the North Sea launched a joint review of safety in the sector. It could be argued that this was driven by the industry’s desire to put its own house in order before regulators did it for them.

But no matter the reason, the review – and the co-operative culture at its heart – looks to be paying dividends. So much so that it has been significantly expanded in scope to deliver offshore best practice globally.

The new, not-for-profit organisation, Heli Offshore, promises much. Its initial members account for an estimated 80% of the world’s offshore helicopter fleet, and so are in a formidable position to drive real change.

It has a highly capable chief executive in Gretchen Haskins, and an ambitious target to match or better the safety record of commercial aviation.

But its success will be judged by the wider world using the starkest of metrics – the number of accidents involving its members’ aircraft. And no organisation can ever guarantee that helicopters will not crash.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ective-404471/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Beatrice Platform Evacuated

An oil platform in the North Sea has been evacuated after a ship carrying radioactive material caught fire and began drifting in the Moray Firth.

The Parida was transporting a cargo of radioactive concrete waste when a fire broke out in one of her two funnels.

The blaze has been extinguished, but 52 workers were taken from the Beatrice platform by helicopter as a precaution.

Aberdeen coastguard said the ship was under tow and was heading to the Cromarty Firth to secure anchor.


The Beatrice Alpha Platform (Photo: Garry Mackay)

The crew members will then decide whether to attempt to restart the engine.

The coastguard were alerted at about 20:00 on Tuesday as the Danish registered Parida was taking a cargo of radioactive concrete from Scrabster to Antwerp in Belgium.

The platform staff were flown to RAF Lossiemouth shortly before midnight. Parida was around seven miles from the platform at the time.


The CFS Parida which caught fire last night near the Beatrice Alpha platform while carrying a radioactive cargo. The vessel has since been towed to Cromarty Firth

A Shetland Coastguard spokesman said: "The Parida is now under tow by the vessel Pacific Champion.

"The coastguard emergency towing vessel from Orkney was tasked to go and prevent the Parida from drifting but before the coastguard vessel arrived on scene the owners agreed a commercial tow with Pacific Champion."

There were no reports of any injuries.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was "closely monitoring" the incident.

He said: "A Scottish government resilience meeting has taken place with key partners including Police Scotland and the Maritime Coastguard Agency, which is co-ordinating an operation to stabilise the vessel and ensure it is safely recovered to harbour.

"Ministers have been briefed and Scottish government officials are engaging closely with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the UK government and key partners to ensure appropriate response arrangements are in place."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...ds-29531395

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

BP May Axe Jigsaw Puma

The helicopter rescue service for some of the North Sea's more remote areas might be adversely affected by oil industry plans that could see the removal of the locally based Jigsaw search and rescue helicopter.

BP is currently reviewing its offshore SAR service with some newspapers already reporting that the service will be axed after 2016.

The Sumburgh-based Jigsaw helicopter is also contracted to assist the Scottish Ambulance Service fulfill their role in Shetland.

The development has set alarm bells ringing among health professionals and local politicians who are now seeking reassurances from the ambulance service.


The Bond operated Jigsaw Puma (Photo: Kieran Murray)

The issue is being added as an urgent item to the next meeting of the Shetland community safety board on 20 November.

NHS Shetland chairman Ian Kinniburgh said community confidence is reinforced by the presence of robust emergency medical retrieval services.

"The Jigsaw helicopter plays a significant role in supporting that retrieval service," he said.

"I would hope and expect that the Scottish Ambulance Service take appropriate steps to ensure that any change to the current model is not to the detriment of the overall service.

"I would look to them to keep us and the Shetland public informed of progress with any future discussion or negotiation around potential change."

Unst based councillor Gary Cleaver added: "Any move to reduce the capacity of the air ambulance would obviously be a concern not just for the north isles but for all of our rural and outlying communities.

"If it is the intention to remove the Jigsaw element then there needs to be something put in place that seamlessly fit into that gap."

A spokeswoman for BP said the company was discussing putting "different arrangements" in place after the current contract with Bond Helicopters comes to an end in early 2016.

She confirmed that the Shetland based Jigsaw helicopter would remain in place until then.

The second Jigsaw helicopter, based on the Miller platform, will be relocated to a Scottish mainland base so that the installation can be decommissioned in 2015.

John Morton of the Scottish Ambulance Service said the agency was watching developments.

"In the event of a medical emergency, patients are currently evacuated using either the Jigsaw helicopter or MOD and Coastguard aircraft," he said.

"We are aware that BP is reviewing future arrangements for the Jigsaw and will continue to monitor developments closely."

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/9514-...ance-provision

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Norway's PSA Audits Ekofisk Operations

Assisted by the Civil Aviation Authority Norway, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has carried out an audit of helideck and helicopter operations at three facilities in the Ekofisk area, in the North Sea.

From 15 to 18 September 2014, the PSA, with assistance from the Civil Aviation Authority Norway, carried out an audit of helicopter deck and helicopter operations at the Eldfisk 2/7-B, Embla 2/7-B and Eldfisk 2/7S facilities operated by ConocoPhillips.


The Ekofisk complex

Section 70 of the Facilities Regulations requires that helicopter decks are designed and equipped so as to fulfil the requirements of CAA Norway’s Regulation governing continental shelf operations – commercial air traffic to and from helidecks on offshore installations and vessels.

With regard to safety matters concerning helidecks and helicopter operations at the facilities, the PSA utilises the specialist expertise of CAA Norway. According to the PSA’s statement, an agreement has been signed by the PSA and CAA Norway regarding such assistance.

The purpose of the audit was to contribute to the prevention of air accidents associated with helicopter decks or their operation.

On behalf of the PSA, CAA Norway will follow up on how ConocoPhillips deals with the observed conditions, PSA said.

The Ekofisk Complex comprises all installations which are connected with bridges on the central Ekofisk field. As of 2014, this includes nine platforms and bridge supports. The newest platforms are the wellhead platform 2/4 Z and the field center and accommodation platform 2/4 L which were installed in 2013.

http://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/p...s-ekofisk-ops/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Total Renews Contract with CHC

Total E&P UK is extending a decades-long relationship with CHC Helicopter in the North Sea, awarding CHC a long-term helicopter transportation contract to support Total’s offshore operations across the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS).

The contract calls for CHC to operate two Sikorsky S-92 and two Airbus EC225 helicopters on behalf of Total. The helicopters will fly from Aberdeen to Total’s Elgin-Franklin, Alwyn and Dunbar fields, as well as to the mobile drilling rigs Total E&P UK have across the UKCS.

The contract is for up to seven years, includes options for up to two additional years, and will take effect in November.

Total’s operations on the UKCS range from the Elgin-Franklin field, which is in the Central North Sea, about 200 kilometres east of Aberdeen, to the Alwyn field, situated 440 kilometres northeast of Aberdeen, and the Dunbar field, located 22 kilometres south of Alwyn. Total also has mobile drilling rigs on contract that operate across the UKCS from the Central North Sea to the West of Shetland region.

Mark Abbey, CHC’s West North Sea regional director, said the award recognises his company’s long history of skill, passion and consistency flying on behalf of Total for more than 25 years.

“Our pilots, engineers and support teams will continue to use their extensive experience over the North Sea to help Total to go further and do more across its many U.K. investments, and come home safely,” said Mr. Abbey.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/hom...r#.VE4FKSKUcnk

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Bond EC225 Precautionary Landing in Forties Field

A Bond EC225 Super Puma has made a precautionary landing in the Forties Field following a gearbox warning indication.

The Super Puma was heading to BP’s Unity Platform in the Forties oil field when it encountered the technical alert. The aircraft's captain made the decision to divert the to the nearest rig which was the Forties Charlie platform.

The crew change flight was carrying 20 people (18 passengers and two crew) who had to overnight on the Forties Charlie rig.


A Bond EC255 Super Puma similar to that which has made a precautionary landing in the Forties Field (Photo: Michel Varlet)

A spokesman for Bond Offshore Helicopters said the landing was “precautionary” while confirming that one of their EC225's had encountered a technical issue. The spokesman went on to say “As a routine precautionary measure the aircraft landed on the nearby Forties Charlie platform where it will be examined by engineers.”

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news...rt-1.652998

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

EC Adopts Hazard Sharing Formats

On 13 October 2014, the European Commission adopted the Implementing Regulation No. 1112/2014 (Regulation) setting out common formats for sharing of information on major hazard indicators by the operators and owners of offshore oil and gas installations and for the publication of such information by the Member States, as requested under articles 23 (1) and 24 (1) of the 2013/30 Offshore Oil and Gas Safety Directive (Directive).

According to the Directive, operators and owners of offshore oil and gas installations have to provide the relevant competent authorities with the information set out in Annex IX of the Directive, relating to unintended release of oil, gas and other hazardous substances, loss of well control, failure of a safety and environmental critical element, vessels collisions with an offshore installation, helicopter accidents, on or near offshore installations, any fatal accidents, any evacuation of personnel, etc. Such information will have to be made publicly available by Member States.

The Regulation provides common formats for the reporting of such information by operators / owners and Member States respectively, with a view to ensure transparency of the safety and environmental performance of operators / owners and Union-wide comparable information on safety of offshore oil and gas operations.

Operators and owners of offshore oil and gas installations have to submit reports on the above mentioned information within 10 working days of the reported event, and Member States have to publish the collected information no later than 1 June of the year following a reporting period (i.e. 1 January to 31 December each year), the first reporting period being the calendar year 2016.

The Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 22 October 2014 and will enter into force 20 days after such publication.

The text of the Regulation can be accessed via the following link: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conte...4R1112&from=EN

http://www.lexology.com/library/deta...839eb796554

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Norway's StormGeo to Offer Enhanced Offshore Weather Forecasting

Two Norwegian companies have joined together in an agreement to provide notifications of weather-related movements of floating offshore units and vessels undertaking complex marine operations. StormGeo began life as a TV weather forecaster and has progressed to service the offshore energy industry whilst Deep Sea Mooring is a hands-on outfit which services the practical needs of the same sector.

StormGeo will publish and support the notifications, while Deep Sea Mooring will be responsible for the hydrodynamic models and all calculations of motion resulting from the expected weather. In principle, this high-tech approach can be used for all marine operations. As an example, it is now possible to forecast movements and wind speeds on helicopter decks several days in advance. By doing so, it is possible to determine whether the conditions/movements are within the set landing criteria for helicopter traffic. As a result, the efficiency of planning and coordinating helicopter traffic could be significantly enhanced.

The notifications are made possible through the combination of detailed weather forecasts and these advanced hydrodynamic models, which can identify critical movements on floating offshore units. By doing so, recipients can be alerted to the actual consequence of the forecasted weather on vessels, rather than just the weather itself. Åge Straume, CEO of Deep Sea Mooring, remarked:

“We are delighted to sign this agreement with StormGeo. It means that together we can offer an excellent planning tool, enabling users to make early decisions regarding forthcoming marine operations and thus minimise the movement of vessels and helicopter decks. This will result in significant savings for our customers.”

Other applications for the service encompass drilling operations and offshore lifting operations on floating units and a further example is illustrated by floatels (crew accommodation units moored at sea) that utilise DP (Dynamic Positioning). Here the direction the floatel should travel in to minimise walkway movement can be calculated, thus increasing availability before disconnection. In addition, information regarding disconnection windows is delivered in advance, meaning the process can be undertaken in safety during calm weather, rather than, in worst case scenarios, waiting for automatic disconnection. Hogne Folkestad, StormGeo VP Offshore, commented:

“This agreement with Deep Sea Mooring compliments and supports our ambition to deliver high quality services that facilitate optimum decision-making on weather-sensitive operations. In a time when the focus on cost saving and efficiencies is so great, it’s more important than ever to combine detailed weather information with optimal planning capabilities to execute critical offshore work.”

http://www.handyshippingguide.com/sh...paramount_5954

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

CHC to Redevelop Aberdeen Base

A major investment by CHC Helicopter in its longtime base in Dyce, Aberdeen, will benefit offshore workers, the oil-and-gas companies for which they work, and CHC’s own people.

The multimillion-pound investment will transform CHC’s facilities and further raise its capabilities in Dyce by significantly expanding hangar capacity, creating a larger and more streamlined passenger terminal, and providing for a new operations centre.

The development will be delivered in two phases. The first phase will double the size of the existing hangar, creating a world-class, purpose-built facility in which CHC’s expert engineers can maintain more than 20 heavy aircraft. The new operations centre will bring together CHC’s pilots, engineers and technical and support staff to deliver services from a state-of-the-art environment. That work is planned to begin during the first half of calendar 2015.

In the second phase, expected to start the following year, CHC will redevelop its passenger terminal, improving the experience for offshore workers. The transformed two-storey terminal will include a new passenger lounge as well as dedicated space for CHC’s major oil-and-gas customers.

Mark Abbey, regional director for CHC West North Sea, said that the company is investing in people, its fleet and its facilities in Aberdeen, other U.K. locations and around the world.

“This increased financial commitment is part of a very broad, ongoing commitment in Aberdeen and to the people who rely on us,” said Mr. Abbey. “We are determined to not only respond to the needs of customers, but anticipate them, and to constantly enhance the experience of offshore workers.

“Customers are responding favourably to our improved tools, systems and processes, rewarding us with a number of major, long-term contracts this year. The expansion of our operations in Aberdeen is expected to broaden and extend that trend.”

Presently, CHC carries more than 140,000 people on over 9,000 flights a year from the Aberdeen base. CHC has more than 20 helicopters in Scotland serving the offshore oil-and-gas industry. Those helicopters are modified and maintained by CHC people to operate at the highest levels of performance and safety in the North Sea environment.

CHC, a helicopter-services leader across the North Sea region and around the globe, is the operating company of CHC Group.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ch...141800108.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

EASA Issues AD Relating to Super Puma Cabin Doors

Safety chiefs today ordered checks on Super Puma helicopters amid warnings cabin doors could jam shut in an emergency.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has issued an airworthiness directive for the Airbus AS332 and EC225 aircraft used to transport workers to North Sea platforms.

The directive said: “This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to jamming of the door jettisoning mechanism, possibly preventing jettisoning of the affected door in an emergency situation and obstructing the safe evacuation of occupants.”

An Airbus Helicopters UK spokesman said: “As part of good management and continuous improvement practices, and as part of continued airworthiness, Airbus Helicopters will issue Alert Service Bulletins.

“This is a proactive approach to maintaining the highest safety standards in our helicopters.”

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news...fears-1.727784

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Talisman Sinopec Closes North Sea Platform ahead of Storm

Sinopec Energy UK has closed its Buchan Alpha platform in the North Sea, the company said on Wednesday, ahead of an expected severe winter storm.

The Buchan Alpha is a floating production installation that contributes less than 5,000 barrels of oil per day to the Forties crude stream.

A spokeswoman for the company, a joint venture between Canada's Talisman and China's Sinopec, said 61 non-essential personnel had been taken from the installation to Aberdeen, Scotland, in advance of the storm.

"This was completed on December 8. A team of 15 remain on board and production remains shut down for the time being," she said.

Britain's Met Office has issued an amber "be prepared" warning for Scotland, with "exceptionally large waves" forecast for some areas of the North Sea, of up to 12 metres.

The Buchan Alpha is not permitted to operate when waves are expected to be above 6.75 metres for a prolonged period.

"It's part of its safety case," said a spokesman for the UK's Health & Safety Executive (HSE). "It's not unusual, it happens about three to four times a year."

Britain's regulatory regime requires all offshore operators to submit a "safety case" to the HSE, outlining how major accident risks will be managed.

Talisman Sinopec's safety case for Buchan Alpha requires it to temporarily remove staff if weather forecasts suggest there will be helideck movement outside the limits defined by the Civil Aviation Authority for helicopter operations.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/1...0TU3RT20141210

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

North Sea Platform Evacuated

A North Sea oil platform has been partially evacuated after a supply vessel caught fire 12 miles from the installation.

Around 150 workers were taken off the Lomond platform after a blaze broke out on the Edda Frende around 6am on Friday.

Platform bosses feared the Norwegian vessel, which was under contract to Shell, would collide with the BG Group-operated rig.

But the Frende was later brought under tow and is being taken to Aberdeen for repairs.


The Lomond platform

A BG Group spokesman said: "We took a precautionary step to demobilise personnel from its Lomond platform and Borgholm Dolphin flotel this morning.

"This was due to the potential risk posed by a stricken vessel some 12 miles away.

"Although the threat of a collision was small we decided to ensure as many of our people as possible were removed from any potential incident. The Lomond platform has been shut in since October as it undergoes a major investment and maintenance programme.”

A spokesman for Frende owners Østensjø Rederi added: "Our platform supply vessel, Edda Frende, reported a fire in the ship's engine room. The fire was quickly extinguished and the situation is now under control.

"The crew are safe and are doing fine. There are no injuries to any of the 14 crew members onboard. The ship was on its way from Aberdeen to the oilfield on British sector and will now return to Aberdeen for investigation and repair."

The coastguard were made aware of the incident but did not dispatch any assets.

http://news.stv.tv/north/303279-fire...mond-platform/