I was appalled to see, in David Learmount's review of helicopter safety, "Data Driven" (Flight International, 22-28 October), a reference to an accident on a ship off the Shetland Isles in November, 2001, between "helicopter pilots are disturbingly willing to take risks" and "The safety culture among many helicopter operators...clearly differs from the carefully circumscribed world of the airline, with its all-embracing standard operating procedures (SOPs)." The initial report of that accident says that the ship had a problem with its dynamic positioning system, which allowed it to turn broadside to a heavy swell, yawing and rolling the ship to a position at which the helicopter toppled due to dynamic rollover. The co-pilot (still recovering from his injuries) was involved in his duties as per (CAA-regulated) company SOPs, to ensure fuel quality control, proper conduct of helideck procedures, proper use of safety equipment and the safe embarkation of the passengers. Neither of the crew could have foreseen, let alone prevented, this accident.
Mr Learmount has cast a slur not only on the offshore operating company involved, but also on all the crews who operate, in difficult circumstances, to the highest possible standards to offshore installations.
Alan Wright Peterhead, UK
Editor's reply: Best practice for landing on a ship's helideck in foul weather and heavy sea state is to tether the helicopter on landing and stop rotors before refuelling. If that had been done, even when the ship went beam-on to the swell, there would have been no accident.
Source: Flight International
