The North Sea

[Russ Kennedy]

#18 from John S.
Ref Military helicopters, I was in Aberdeen (with Shell Expro) when they started using the Chinook, twin rotor helicopter. Can't remember how long it was before they had an incident, but when it came it was massive. Only 2 survived (the pilot and the youngest passenger) out of 47!! The pilot was a neighbour of mine. The accident happened in 1986, the passengers were all workers from Shell's Brent Field.
Russ K
PS From a report in the Aberdeen P&J which covered 30 years of data from 1977 to 2006, confirmed that the UK continental shelf was the leading region for offshore helicopter safety. There were seven crashes involving 94 fatalities. Goodness knows what the other regions safety performance was like!!

[Captain Kong]

I had heard about the memorial, I'll have to check it out next time I'm in Fleetwood. There should be 7 names on it (I said 9 in my original post, a typo on my part), 6 bodies were recovered, 1 was never found.

Cheers

Bob
.
. Hi Bob
i think there is seven names , at least every man is on ithe memorial. I saw it a couple of weeks ago, I will send a photo next time I go next week.

It is facing the Euston Hotel area.
Cheers
Brian.

[j.sabourn]

Remember that one Russ. Was master of the Seaforth Viscount or Sovereign working the Southern part of the North Sea. (supply vessels) at the time. The one that I missed being involved in was the passenger one carrying I believe among others holiday makers off the Scilly Islands. Believe she was the same heli type. As said unfortuanetly due to the large amount of air traffic it is a law of averages there are going to be ditchings. The traffic in Oz is not so intense but if it were, think you would see the same amount of casualities here also. Cheers John Sabourn

[Russ Kennedy]

Just reading the various comments re the North Sea jogged my memory. In the early days of North Sea oil we flew fixed wing to Sumburgh, stayed overnight in the "Sumburgh Hilton" (iron bunk beds etc and helicopter to the platform first thing next morning. Dan Air ran the flights. July 1979 saw a Dan Air return flight to Aberdeen not making it into the air, running off the end of the runway,and into the sea. (The runway at Sumburgh extends into the sea! Or used to). Of the 47 folk on board, 17 lost their lives, the pilot died trying to save others!
I had only been in Aberdeen about a year, 2 of my colleagues were on the flight and survived and I tell you, the next time I flew to Sumburgh, it was a white knuckle ride all the way, but eventually you forget and just get on with the job!

[Captain Kong]

In 1984 I was in Lerwick went to Sumbrough to fly to Aberdeen, the wind was over 100 to 120 kts, we stayed at the Queens Hotel for three days waiting for the wind to stop. Then we took off,the plane was bouncing around before we took off, Then as we lifted off the ground over the rokcs on the beach the plane flipped over on its side, I was lying on the window looking down at the waves crashing over the rocks I wet my knickers. it eventually came back on an even keel and bounced all the way to Aberdeen, We had three attempts to land there, the plane flipped over on its side as we approached the runway with the wings verticle, after three trys we went back over the North Sea and dumped all our fuel and tried again, came in boncing down the runway like a tennis ball.
I was first off the plane and legged it to the bar, The Pilot was already in there with a large whisky in his hand. I said `You were bleddy quick` he just said `Your lucky, i have to take it back` I said what was the wind speed on take off, he said 75 knts. I said is the maximum wind speed were you cant take off, he said 40 knots, So I said, why didnt you wait, he said If I dont do then they will get someone else to do it and I will be out of a job,
So there you have it. Pressure from the Company and a Pilot will risk everyones lives to save his job.
Brian

[j.sabourn]

Is Dan Air still going. Used to be known as Dan Dare. Remember someone telling me once they could see daylight between his feet on one short hop. Cheers John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

Brian as I have said in the past, on the shipping side if you did not comply with their wishes on the rig you were out of a job as they would just call in another ship to do and you would be off charter and probably out of a job. All the huha after the Piper re safety makes me laugh as cannot see the safety methods of the past be in anyway changed as regards shipping, all b......t. The only changes which I advocated was the increase in crew, however believe this only applies to safety boats. The same people are still there with the methods they have always adhered to. John Sabourn

[Keith Tindell]

Hi John, Dan Dare long gone, i flew on one of the last flights where they had been told they were all out of a job on landing, it was a charter flight, but free booze all round, i think the stewardesses were all p****D as well . I guess this would have been 68 ish KT

[robpage]

They were sold to British Airways for £1 in 1990 ish

[Keith Tindell]

Hi Rob, i stand corrected, 1992, when a pound at least bought a pint, where do all these years go to/ KT