The UK’ s Maritime & Coastguard Agency was advised last Friday by its helicopter contractor CHC that all four Coastguard S92 helicopters operating out of Stornoway and Shetland have been grounded pending further advice from the relevant safety authorities.
This affects all S92s operated globally and is not unique to the Coastguard or CHC. CHC are awaiting official advice from the aviation authorities. CHC were instructed by helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky to ground all S92s operated by the company pending an urgent modification to the S92 fleet. This follows the loss of a Cougar Helicopters S92 on 12 March in which 17 people were killed when the aircraft crashed into the North Atlantic off Newfoundland. Reports from Canada last Friday said investigators of that incident found a damaged part in the gearbox which could have contributed to the accident.
The MCA are now working closely with the Ministry of Defence to provide cover for the islands from Lossiemouth and Prestwick.
Once it has become clearer as to how long the Coastguard helicopters will remain grounded and how long it will take for remedial engineering works to be carried out, the MCA will take a decision on implementing a contingency plan for longer term air coverage. The aircraft on the south coast are unaffected.
