The pilots of an Airbus Helicopters AS332 L2 Super Puma transporting North Sea oil and gas industry workers failed to notice the helicopter’s decreasing airspeed until late in their instrument approach to Sumburgh (Scotland) Airport. Seconds later, as the captain tried to recover airspeed and altitude, the Super Puma struck the water, killing four passengers.
The two pilots and 14 other passengers survived, although four suffered serious injuries in the Aug. 23, 2013, crash, the last of five North Sea helicopter events that prompted a lengthy review of helicopter operations conducted in support of the offshore oil and gas industry. After two of those events — nonfatal ditchings — the three North Sea operators of Super Pumas grounded the aircraft for 10 months. A more recent grounding was ordered earlier this year, after a fatal April 29 Super Puma accident in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea (see “Crash Grounds Super Pumas”).
In its final report on the accident, th…
