Engineering news
Offshore industry leaders have recommended that all Super Puma helicopters should return to service.
Flights were suspended after an AS332 L2 Super Puma crashed as it approached Sumburgh airport on the southern tip of Shetland on Friday, killing three men and one woman.
The "Step Change in Safety" helicopter safety steering group (HSSG) said the fleet should return to the skies after a two-day meeting to review the suspension.
"The 'time out for safety' has been completed and there is no evidence to support a continuation of the temporary suspension of the entire Super Puma fleet," a statement said.
"As a consequence, the HSSG supports the return to active service of all variants of the Super Puma fleet."
CHC had temporarily suspended all flights of the three types of Super Puma helicopter that it operates - the L, L2 and EC225.
Fellow operators Bond Offshore Helicopters and Bristow also enforced a temporary suspension of all Super Puma flights except emergency rescue missions.
The Super Puma is said to make up about half of the UK offshore industry's 75-strong helicopter fleet and the freeze has caused disruption to the movement of workers on and offshore.
Les Linklater, Step Change in Safety's team leader, said that there were almost 16,000 people offshore, with more than 12,000 in the areas most affected by the suspension - the central and northern North Sea.
He said: "There are over 250 people who have spent more than 21 days offshore, this is increasing daily and they and their families are wondering when they are going to get home."
"Industry has a duty of care to all offshore workers both in terms of their safety and their well-being; we must consider the cumulative risk of the 'time out'.
"We must avoid a further tragedy through the introduction of human factor-based risk such as fatigue, stress and other well-being concerns that increase the likelihood of a high consequence-low frequency event.
"By taking the time out for safety over the weekend, we have had the opportunity to review key elements of our fleet and better understand the positions of the authorities that determine the airworthiness and operational compliance and safety of our helicopter fleet."
Helicopter operators are satisfied there is no reason to believe there is an inherent mechanical problem with any of the Super Puma models, the HSSG said.
The European Aviation Safety Agency and Civil Aviation Authority had taken no action in relation to the Super Puma models, which "positively affirms that there are no safety reasons that support a suspension of flying", the group said.
The pilots' union Balpa gave its full support to the fleet and the helicopters had continued to fly in other parts of the world, it added.
The L2 type involved in Friday's crash will initially be re-introduced for non-passenger operations such as training flights.
The Super Puma AS332 L2, which was manufactured by Eurocopter and operated by CHC was travelling from the Borgsten Dolphin support vessel with 16 passengers and two crew onboard when it crashed into the sea on route to Sumburgh airport.
The incident was the fifth involving Super Pumas in the North Sea since 2009, prompting renewed safety fears in the industry.
According to the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) the helicopter slowed and started falling three miles away from Sumburgh Airport and was “intact and upright” when it entered the water. It then rapidly inverted and drifted northwards towards Garths Ness. The helicopter was largely broken up by repeated contact with the rocky shoreline.
All Super Puma flights by CHC and fellow operators Bond Offshore Helicopters and Bristow have since been suspended after a recommendation by the offshore industry's Helicopter Safety Steering Group pending.
It is not the first time that Super Puma flights were suspended. Three ditchings involving the EC225 model occurred between February 2009 and October 2012, resulting in a temporary suspension of flights.
An subsequent investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch found that two of the incidents were the result of gearbox failures and new advice on checks for the EC225 were issued as a result. CHC returned the model to commercial service earlier this month.
In April 2009 an AS332 L2, operated by Bond, went down north-east of Peterhead on its return from a BP platform, killing all 14 passengers and two crew on board. A fatal accident inquiry is expected to be held about this in Aberdeen next year.
Duncan Trapp, vice president for safety and quality at CHC Helicopter, said last week's crash would be ''painstakingly investigated'' to find out what went wrong.
He added: ''The AAIB will be reviewing information including debriefs with pilots and passengers, air traffic records, technical data and records, and the aircraft and its on-board systems."
Trade union Unite has called for an emergency debate on offshore health and safety when the Scottish Parliament reconvenes next week. It also urged the Scottish Government to support the fast-track of Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) reforms, which are currently under public consultation.
Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty said that there were “ridiculous delays” in starting the FAI into the 2009 Super Puma crash.