ST. JOHN’S
Robert Decker told CBC radio in an interview aired Wednesday that he wants to know why the same model of Sikorsky S-92 chopper is still flying oil workers to sites more than 300 kilometres offshore.
Decker was a 27-year-old weather observer on the Hibernia oil platform when Cougar Flight 491 went down on March 12, 2009, killing 17 people.
He said his accident was preventable and that Transport Canada has not been accountable for its actions.
“No one has explained why the helicopter was ever certified to fly in the first place and I think that someone still has to answer that question,” he said.
“We are looking for answers from the government to let us know why the helicopter was certified to fly ... and why after an incident that happened in Australia in July of 2008 that nothing was done to correct the problem.”
Families of Cougar crash victims say Transport Canada should have taken action right after that close call in Australia involving the same model of helicopter.
The incident happened eight months before the Newfoundland disaster and involved the same gearbox problem. Titanium studs that hold the oil filter assembly to the chopper’s main gearbox snapped off in flight, causing a massive loss of oil.
The pilots in Australia were closer to land and touched down safely seven minutes after losing oil pressure.
Cougar Flight 491 crashed into the North Atlantic about 55 kilometres east of St. John’s 11 minutes after the two pilots reported a loss of oil pressure. They ultimately lost steering control.
Decker and families of the passengers who died want to know why it wasn’t until six weeks before the Cougar crash that regulators called for the replacement of titanium studs with steel parts. Even then, they stipulated that the switch could be done within one year or 1,250 flight hours.
Decker and the families, who have already reached compensation settlements with Sikorsky, have also raised certification questions.
Federal Aviation Administration regulators in the U.S. certified Sikorsky’s main gearbox to operate for 30 minutes after losing oil. They based that decision on the view that the chances of a loss of lubricant were “extremely remote.”
The Transportation Safety Board blamed the Cougar disaster on the oil loss, along with other factors including training issues and how the gearbox oil filter was installed and inspected.
Its report recommended that all Sikorsky S-92 helicopters should be able to run dry without oil in their main gearboxes for 30 minutes.
On Wednesday, Transport Canada reiterated in a statement that it’s quickly working to ensure lessons learned are used to prevent similar accidents in future.
“We will continue to work with our international partners and industry to ensure a harmonized approach addresses the TSB recommendation on the gearbox, so that helicopters will be required to be able to fly safely for at least 30 minutes” after a loss of oil, it says.
