Risks of Methane Venting
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), citing two cases of engine power loss on turbine helicopters operating to and from oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, is calling for action to mitigate the risks of the nearby discharge of methane and other raw gases.
The NTSB said that, in both accidents, the loss of engine power probably resulted from “inadvertent ingestion of methane gas that was being vented in the vicinity.”
The first accident, on March 24, 2011, involved a Bell 206-L3 that experienced a partial power loss after takeoff from an oil production platform. As the helicopter passed above an “exhaust pipe” on the platform, the pilot and passengers heard a loud bang, and the helicopter subsequently struck the water and rolled. The three people in the helicopter received minor injuries, and the helicopter was substantially damaged.
Investigators said there was no visual indication to inform pilots when the pipe was in use,…
