The Air Force has appointed a commission to determine the cause of a equipment failure on a rescue helicopter. The helicopters are in reduced readiness until the cause is clear.
Defense revealed earlier this month an error on the winch to the rescue helicopter ‘Sea King’. It has led the rescuers to have to carry people to positions where they can be picked up by a vehicle or helicopter rescue without the use of the winch. A Turkish tourist had to be carried down from Trolltunga in Hordaland by the Red Cross crew on July 13th.
The restrictions were introduced after a cable broke during a test on July 6th, and preparedness is reduced until the Commission has concluded, reported TV2.
– It is in the interests of the safety of personnel and crew of the helicopter, as well the safety of those who are being saved, says Commander Ståle Pedersen at the operational headquarters.
JRCC North and South say there are serious non-life-threatening missions over land that must be resolved with alternative resources.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
