The helicopter that crashed at Turøy last year had weaknesses in the early warning system, according to tests performed before the accident, TV2 news reported.
13 people died when a helicopter crashed at Turøy in Hordaland on April the 29th last year. The Havarikommission (Havari Commission) has concluded that the cause of the crash was a breach of a gear in the gearbox.
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In the Super Puma helicopters there were mounted magnetic plugs to capture loose metal particles that may stem from gears or other critical parts that are failing.
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When this occurs, a warning should be sent to pilots, and the helicopter would be immediately grounded.
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According to TV 2 news, a previous test by Airbus Helicopters had revealed that metal magnets were only capturing 12% of the metal in the gearbox.
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Following an accident with a Super Puma helicopter in 2009, several safety recommendations were made; among other things, the British Accident Investigation Board recommended improved monitoring of the main gearbox.
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TV 2 has attempted to contact the EU Air Safety Agency (EASA), which approves helicopter models, to find out why they didn’t take further action based on the recommendations given by the United Kingdom Accident Investigation Board. EASA has not responded to the attempted contacts.
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In Norway and the UK, both of the two Super Puma models are on the ground with a flight ban for the foreseeable future.
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© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
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