Offshore Oil Platforms and Aviation Safety – Episode 269

Helicopters and offshore oil platform operations can be a deadly combination. John Goglia and Todd Curtis discuss two accidents to illustrate aviation safety concerns.

In a 2010 accident discussed, maintenance and managerial failures resulted in minor damage and no injuries because of the pilot’s skill. Another is a fatal accident that killed all on board due to the pilot not following the helicopter operator’s standard procedures for landing and taking off.

In the 2010 accident there were multiple missed inspections by mechanics and pilots over several days, including the accident flight. The poor maintenance effort led to system malfunctions that prevented the pilot from fully controlling the helicopter, forcing the pilot to make a running landing at about 45 knots.

In a 2022 accident, the pilot landed away from the center of the helideck and the rear of the right skid was over the edge of the helipad and adjacent to a raised perimeter light. When the pilot took off, the right skid contacted a perimeter light, causing the helicopter to roll sharply to the right. The helicopter struck the helideck, rolled off the oil rig, and sank. The pilot has a documented history of not following takeoff and landing procedures on most of his flights to and from oil rigs.

FAA Inspector Report on 2010 Maintenance Accident

Public Docket for NTSB report CEN10IA397

2022 Helicopter Rollover Fatal Accident

2022 Helicopter Rollover Fatal Accident Toxicology Report

Public Docket for NTSB report CEN23FA071

CDC report on fatal injuries in offshore oil operations

HeliOffshore report on helicopter safety performance from 2013-2018

HeliOffshore white paper on maintenance resilience

UK House of Commons 2019 report on offshore helicopter safety