2009 and 2016 Crashed Super Pumas Both had Same Parts Replaced 1 Month Before Crash
EXCLUSIVE: It may be a cruel coincidence but Oil and Gas People can reveal that the Super Puma involved in last weeks crash had the same part replaced exactly a month before the accident as the Super Puma that crashed in 2009 killing 16. Both helicopters had their rotor blades replaced exactly 1 month before they crashed.
The Super Puma that crashed April 1st 2009 off Peterhead had its Rotor replaced March 1st 2009 while the Super Puma that crashed Friday (29th April) had a Rotor change on 27th of March this year.
The AAIB initial report into the 2009 accident stated that the immediate cause of the accident was a “catastrophic failure of the main rotor gearbox” and the consequent detachment of the main rotor. Three safety recommendations were made, the first of which was that all Super Puma helicopters should receive additional checks on the main rotor gearbox epicyclic module
The AAIB later released a second report in 2009 noting that metallic debris from the gearbox had been detected 34 flying hours prior to the helicopter crash. However, “no signs of an incipient gearbox failure were detected”. In response, the EASA ordered an “urgent” inspection of the gearboxes on both the AS332L2 Super Puma, the model that crashed in 2009 and the EC225LP Super Puma the model crashed on Friday. This one line in the report suggests that both helicopter models share similar parts.
