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North Sea helicopter crash that killed 16 men 'was avoidable'
An inquiry into a North Sea helicopter crash that killed 16 men has found that it could have been avoided. Families of 14 oil workers and two crew members who died in 2009 have called for a full public inquiry.
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Father of North Sea crash victim 'needs more answers'
The father of one of the 16 men killed in the North Sea helicopter crash in 2009 says the families need more answers, and criticised the length of the inquiry.
John Edwards told ITV News he believes there are still many questions left unanswered and call for a public inquiry into the crash.
North Sea crash mother 'let down by the system'
Audrey Wood, who lost her son Stuart Wood in the North Sea helicopter crash said she felt let down by the failure for the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) to bring about criminal proceedings against the helicopter operator blamed for a series of errors that led to the fatal crash.
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Companies 'more interested in burying than fact finding'
The lawyer for the families of the 16 men killed in the North Sea helicopter crash said they would trust nothing less than a full public inquiry into the failures that led to their deaths.
Mr Gordon said the Scottish and Westminster governments would be "astounded" at the way the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) had been conducted, and that the companies and authorities were more interested in hiding what had happened.
"If the Scottish Government and the Westminster Government looked at the way the FAI was conducted they would be astounded."
He said BP, the Civil Aviation Authority, Eurocopter and Bond had been more interested in "burying this" than fact-finding.
"Once again we reiterate our appeal that there should be a public inquiry here."
Families criticise length of crash inquiry
The families of the 16 men who died in a helicopter crash in the North Sea in 2009 have criticised the length of the inquiry.
Speaking at a news conference in Aberdeen, their lawyer Chris Gordon reiterated calls for a public inquiry and asked the Crown Office to revisit the question of whether there should be prosecutions. He said:
"It is five years since this accident happened. The inquiry has taken far too long.
Many of the witnesses could simply not remember anything. It is an appalling state of affairs which the families all agree with."
North Sea helicopter crash: 'lessons have been learned'
A statement from Bond Offshore said: "We have always accepted that we made mistakes through honest confusion over telephone calls and emails.
"Lessons needed to be learned, lessons have been learned and lessons continue to be learned."
Bond: Findings not proved beyond reasonable doubt
The helicopter operator heavily criticised by an inquiry into the North Sea helicopter crash in 2009 said the findings did not prove their responsibility beyond reasonable doubt.
In a statement, Bond Offshore said:
The statement went on to express their "deep sorrow" at the loss of the 16 men who died in the crash.
More: Families call for public inquiry into North Sea helicopter crash
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Families call for public inquiry into North Sea crash
The families of the 16 men who died in the North Sea helicopter crash are calling for a full public inquiry into their deaths.
Speaking at a press conference as a it emerged that the accident could have been avoided, the families said they were surprised and disappointed that no criminal charges have been brought.
Helicopter operator failures blamed for fatal crash
The inquiry into the deaths of 16 men in a North Sea helicopter crash in 2009 identified the following failures of Bond, the helicopter operator:
- The failed to carry out proper maintenance procedure after a metal particle had been discovered in the helicopter's chip detector
- They failed to ensure proper communication with the manufacturer, in accordance with recognised procedures
- The result of which was the failure to carry out specific maintenance tasks and in doing so the operator failed to avoid the consequences - the fatal crash.
North Sea helicopter crash 'could have been prevented'
An inquiry into a the deaths of 16 people in a North Sea helicopter crash in 2009 found the accident could have been prevented.
Super Puma 'suffered catastrophic failure' before crash
A probe by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch found that a Bond Super Puma suffered a "catastrophic failure" of its main rotor gearbox before it crashed into the North Sea, killing 16 men.
The AAIB report said that the gearbox failure caused the main rotor on the AS332-L2 model to break away and its "tail boom" was severed from the fuselage.
A Fatal Accident Inquiry, which will publish its findings today, focused largely on maintenance carried out on the helicopter's gearbox in the weeks and months before the tragedy.