North Sea Helicopter Crash: 18 on board
Actual helicopter G-REDL NOT pictured
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What: Bond Helicopters Eurocopter AF332 L2 Super Puma crashed
Where: In the sea off north-east Scotland
When: 2pm Wednesday April 1
Who: 16 people
Why: Returning from an oil platform, the helicopter crashed in the North Sea
Normand Aurora supply vessel was in the area and is looking for survivors and RNLI lifeboats from Peterhead and Fraserburgh are racing to the scene.
Relatives of victims have been asked to call 01224 836479.
You may remember Bond Helicopters Feb 18 crash in which 18 people on board survived. That was when individuals were allowed to wear transmitters. (Currently there are safety concerns over the use of personal distress beacons–they are NOT allowed because they interfere with the on board transmitter.)
George’s Point of View
When I was 16, I took my hard earned bucks and purchased a used car, my first car. And my Dad said, “Son, you have to change the oil regularly. Check the water in the radiator, air in your tires and take it to a mechanic regularly for a checkup.”
Aviation vessels need simple attention and lots of love and care by mechanics.
You have to wonder about maintenance. Some planes, helicopters, are busy all day long, taking off and landing. When are they on the ground enough to get checked?
At this time, eight dead have been found. Would they all have been found alive if they had been allowed PCBs (Personal Locator Beacons) like in Bond’s February crash where they had PCBs and were rescued?
