Cites Post-Katrina S-76 Accident In Recommendation
In response to the Board's
investigation into the September 6, 2005 ditching of a Sikorsky
S-76A helicopter in the Gulf of Mexico, on Tuesday the National
Transportation Safety Board issued a recommendation to the FAA
urging all offshore Gulf helicopter operators to evaluate their
communication contingency plans in the aftermath of a major
event.
As ANN reported, the 10 passengers and two
pilots onboard the Houston Helicopters, Inc. rotorcraft were able
to safely egress the stricken S-76 after it ditched in the Gulf,
about 24 miles southeast of Sabine Pass, TX. Ten persons onboard
suffered injuries of varying degrees of severity, and all were
forced to wait in the cold Gulf waters for 7.5 hours, buoyed only
by their personal life vests, before they were rescued.
"The probable cause of this accident was the pilots' delayed
response to the No. 1 engine fire warning and the loss of power to
both engines, which occurred for undetermined reasons," the Board
noted. "The pilots' delayed response was most likely due to stress
and fatigue."
The accident occurred one week after Hurricane Katrina hit the
Gulf region as a Category 3 storm... and the NTSB took note of the
resulting chaos as a contributing factor in the delayed rescue.
Post-accident interviews with HHI pilots indicated the company's
communications network was non-functional in the storm's aftermath,
as were cellular phone towers.
"Although other Gulf offshore helicopter operators secured
alternate means for their pilots to communicate with their base
operations (for example, by using “repeater” aircraft
or through issuance of satellite telephones), HHI did not take
similar action," the NTSB states. "Rather than provide a formal
communications plan, HHI management suggested that its pilots use
their own cellular phones or request assistance from oil platform
personnel to relay flight departure information to base
operations."
HHI suspended operations in October 2005, but the NTSB says the
lesson from the accident is one all companies operating the region
should heed. In recommendation A-09-01, the NTSB says the FAA
should "evaluate offshore helicopter operators in the Gulf of
Mexico for compliance with their communication contingency plan
that supports continued adherence to required flight-following
procedures," following a major event such as a hurricane.