Safety
Newfoundland Night Flights To Resume for Oil and Gas Operators

A study commissioned by the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) recommends the resumption of night flights to offshore oil and gas platforms in the region and lays out a plan that incorporates upgraded and specific safety measures. Night flights were suspended in the wake of the March 12, 2009, offshore crash of a Cougar Helicopters Sikorsky S-92A that killed 17 of 18 aboard after that helicopter’s main gearbox (MGB) lubrication system failed.

The Offshore Helicopter Safety Inquiry (OHSI) commissioned by the C-NLOPB after the Cougar crash established specific conditions for the resumption of night flights. OHSI’s mandate was to investigate and report on all aspects of offshore helicopter safety not covered by Canada’s Transportation Safety Board’s (TSB) investigation of the accident. The study, performed by Gladstone Aerospace, found that those conditions have been met. They include:

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