# Ferry chopper ditches in Atlantic with 18 on board



## Snakedoc (12 Mar 2009)

Not sure if this was posted anywhere else but this just came on the news a moment ago.  Let's hope our guys are able to help: 

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090312/chopper_crash_090312/20090312?hub=TopStories

Ferry chopper ditches in Atlantic with 18 on board
Updated Thu. Mar. 12 2009 9:46 AM ET

The Canadian Press

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -- A helicopter ferrying workers to the Hibernia offshore oil platform has ditched in the Atlantic off Newfoundland, about 90 kilometres southeast of St. John's. 

Gerry Grychowski of the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax says there were 18 people on board. 

Two people have been spotted in the water, as well as a life-raft, but there's no sign of the chopper. 

A Hercules aircraft and four Cormorant rescue helicopters are on their way to the site and a coast guard ship and a supply ship are about an hour away. 

Grychowski says winds are fairly strong in the area with two- to three-metre waves.


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Offshore helicopter, carrying 18, ditches in Atlantic Ocean 
Last Updated: Thursday, March 12, 2009 | 11:40 AM NT 
CBC News 

Crews were searching Thursday for 18 people who had been aboard a helicopter that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Newfoundland.

Lt. David Bowen, a Halifax-based official with military search and rescue, told CBC News that two persons and a life-raft were spotted in the water, about 87 kilometres southeast of Newfoundland.

"We don't have any further information on the raft itself," Bowen told CBC News.

He said a mayday call was issued at 9:18 a.m. NT, or 7:48 a.m. ET.

High winds were reported as aircraft — including a Hercules plane sent from Nova Scotia and four Cormorant helicopters — were dispatched to the scene.

The coast guard has also sent one of its ships, and companies active in the offshore oil industry have joined the effort. A supply ship was also en route to the scene.

Further details are expected Thursday.

Cougar Helicopters, which operates the choppers that fly to and from the three oilfields in production off Newfoundland, said it is preparing a statement.

Cougar 911 usually flies crews to and from the Hibernia platform, about 315 kilometres southeast of St. John's, and St. John's International Airport.


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Cougar helicopter down off east coast Newfoundland with 18 people onboard  
The Telegram

A Cougar helicopter offshore shuttle with 18 people onboard has gone down in the Atlantic Ocean about 90 nautical miles southeast of St. John’s.
A Provincial Airlines plane circling overhead reports seeing a liferaft and two people in the water. The helicopter cannot be seen, nor can they see if anyone is in the liferaft.
Four helicopters and two vessels are just about on the scene. The Coast Guard vessel Cape Roger is 90 minutes away and a supply ship will be on scene at 11:30 a.m.
The mayday came in at 9:18 a.m.
Police officers have arrived at Cougar Helicopters base at St. John’s International Airport to keep members of the media at bay.

The winds at the crash scene are said to be high with seas two-to-three metres and the visibility is 10 nautical miles.

More details as soon as they become available.

Helicopter gone down in ocean off Newfoundland: reports  
The Telegram


There are reports of a helicopter gone down in the ocean off eastern Newfoundland. The number of people onboard are unknown at this time.
Canadian Coast Guard has confirmed vessels are currently enroute and all emergency organizations are engaged in the search and rescue.
More details as they become available.

Update: Two rescued in helicopter crash in ocean  
The Telegram


Two survivors have been rescued from a Cougar helicopter offshore shuttle that has gone down about 47 nautical miles southeast of St. John’s. The two are being transported to hospital in St. John’s at this time.
The downed helicopter had 18 people onboard — transporting workers to and from the Hibernia platform. The mayday came in at 9:18 a.m.
A Provincial Airlines plane circling overhead reported seeing a liferaft and two people in the water. The downed helicopter cannot be seen, nor can they see if anyone is in the liferaft.
A Hercules aircraft and four Cormorant rescue helicopters are on their way to the scene. The Coast Guard vessel Cape Roger and a supply ship are nearing the scene as well.
A gale force warning is in effect for the area with winds south at 20 knots increasing to 35 early this afternoon. Seas are said to be two-to-three metres and the visibility is 10 nautical miles.
Police officers have arrived at Cougar Helicopters base at St. John’s International Airport to keep members of the media at bay.
More details as soon as they become available.


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Offshore helicopter, carrying 18, ditches in Atlantic Ocean 
Last Updated: Thursday, March 12, 2009 | 12:28 PM NT CBC News






A Cougar helicopter carrying 18 people issued a mayday Thursday morning before crashing in the ocean, east of Newfoundland, authorities said. (CBC)

A helicopter carrying 18 people working in the oil industry off Newfoundland's east coast crashed into the ocean Thursday, and one survivor has been flown to hospital in St. John's.

The crew were working at the White Rose offshore oilfield, southeast of St. John's.

A helicopter arrived at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's at noon, with the survivor being carried to the hospital on a stretcher.

Eastern Health told CBC News that it has cleared its emergency rooms to prepare for what it described as patients who are critically ill and hypothermic.

Lt. David Bowen, a Halifax-based official with military search and rescue, told CBC News that two persons and a life-raft were spotted in the water, about 87 kilometres east-southeast of Newfoundland.

"We don't have any further information on the raft itself," Bowen told CBC News.

He said a mayday call was issued at 9:18 a.m. NT, or 7:48 a.m. ET.

High winds were reported as aircraft — including a Hercules plane sent from Nova Scotia and four Cormorant helicopters — were dispatched to the scene.

The coast guard has also sent one of its ships, and companies active in the offshore oil industry have joined the effort. A supply ship was also en route to the scene.

Further details are expected Thursday.

Cougar Helicopters, which operates the choppers that fly to and from the three oilfields in production off Newfoundland, said it is preparing a statement.

Cougar 911 usually flies crews to and from the Hibernia platform, about 315 kilometres southeast of St. John's, and St. John's International Airport. On Thursday, however, it was working with a crew stationed at the floating Sea Rose platform, at the White Rose field.


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## Eye In The Sky (12 Mar 2009)

Thoughts go out to the loved ones and families of the still-missing 16, and...well...it said 2 were spotted in the water, with one survivor being flown to hospital.

I'll wait for more details at this point...but...


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Eye In The Sky said:
			
		

> Thoughts go out to the loved ones and families of the still-missing 16 17.



Only one person has been confirmed rescued EITS.

For those wondering the fol airframes are on scene:

1 x CP-140A Arcturus
4 x CH-149 Cormorant  (2 on station, 2 at St. John's International)
2 x CC-130 Hercules (1 on station, 1 at St. John's International)


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## Eye In The Sky (12 Mar 2009)

Seen.


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## armyvern (12 Mar 2009)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> Only one person has been confirmed rescued EITS.
> 
> For those wondering the fol airframes are on scene:
> 
> ...



From the articles I'm reading and the news, they're saying "2 survivors rescued" with "one survivor having reached the hospital".

Could be: 2 survivors have been rescued, but were not necessarily rescued together and/or transported together - one yet to arrive at hospital. Or, 2 were rescued, but only one survived the remainder of the trip to the hospital.

I'm hoping it's the former. Hoping that raft has some survivors in it too.


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

RCC Halifax was on CBC NEWSWORLD and said 1 rescued, still looking for the other 17.

And NTV News has stated that 17 are still unaccounted for.


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## Eye In The Sky (12 Mar 2009)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> Offshore helicopter, carrying 18, ditches in Atlantic Ocean
> Last Updated: Thursday, March 12, 2009 | 11:40 AM NT
> CBC News
> 
> ...



I was going off this piece when I made my first post...time to sit and wait for complete details I guess.


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## armyvern (12 Mar 2009)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> RCC Halifax was on CBC NEWSWORLD and said 1 rescued, still looking for the other 17.
> 
> And NTV News has stated that 17 are still unaccounted for.



Well, I guess I'll switch channels then. What's going on with the different broadcasts on each station airing times?

Some airing interviews that are delayed? (Due to the national media's main story today seemingly being Khawaja getting 10.5 years  as Canada's first successful conviction under the Anti-terrorism legislation?)


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Yeah, with a breaking news story info is subject to change.

I hope that this has a good outcome. I got a number of friends that work offshore.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (12 Mar 2009)

They are hoping that the second soul may be on a vessel....


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

For those that want, you can watch the news conference live when it becomes avail at:

http://www.cbc.ca/nl/live/cougar/


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Update: News conference delayed until family members briefed  

The Telegram





A survivor is removed from a Cougar Helicopter on the helicopter tarmac at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's. The survivor was among 18 people aboard a Cougar helicopter offshore shuttle taking workers to the Hibernia platform when it ditched in the ocean this morning. — Photo by Keith Gosse/The Telegram 



All the ambulances have left the helicopter tarmac at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s.
Eight ambulances, and another support ambulance, had been stationed there following the arrival of a survivor from the Cougar helicopter crash off Newfoundland this morning.

There is no word yet why the ambulances left.

A news conference by officials from Couger, Husky Energy and ExxonMobil will be held once family members are briefed on the situation involving the Cougar helicopter offshore shuttle that went down about 47 nautical miles southeast of St. John’s this morning. The downed helicopter had 18 people onboard.
Among those to take part  in the news conference are J.J. Gerber, Cougar’s chief pilot; Trevor Pritchard from Husky; and Coast Guard and military rescue officials.
Media have been asked not to approach or speak to family members until they’ve been briefed.

Latest reports indicate that at least two survivors have been rescued.

Cougar is the company contracted to transport workers to and from the Hibernia, Terra Nova and White  Rose oilfields off the east coast of Newfoundland.
A Provincial Airlines plane circling overhead earlier reported seeing a liferaft and two people in the water. The downed helicopter cannot be seen, nor can they see if anyone is in the liferaft.
A Hercules aircraft and four Cormorant rescue helicopters are on the scene. The Coast Guard vessel Cape Roger and a supply ship are at the scene as well.
A gale force warning is in effect for the area with winds south at 20 knots increasing to 35 early this afternoon. Seas are said to be two-to-three metres and the visibility is 10 nautical miles. Sea temperature about 1 C.
More details as soon as they become available


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## Bruce Monkhouse (12 Mar 2009)

The search and rescue Major just confirmed the 2 life rafts were empty.


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## Eye In The Sky (12 Mar 2009)

Just confirmed on CTV News, one fatality, name not released.  

RIP.


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## armyvern (12 Mar 2009)

1 survivor confirmed so far: Robert Decker, age 36 (currently at HSC). 1 confirmed (and rercovered) fatality so far, no name released. 

My thoughts and prayers are with all the families and the workers at this time.


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Life-rafts empty, 1 dead, 16 missing after helicopter crashes in Atlantic
Last Updated: Thursday, March 12, 2009 | 3:13 PM NT
CBC News  





A Sikorsky S92 helicopter flown by Cougar Helicopters crashed Thursday morning while en route to the White Rose and Hibernia oil fields. (Cougar Helicopters) 

Two life-rafts found near where a helicopter carrying offshore oil workers crashed into the Atlantic Ocean were empty, a search and rescue official said Thursday.

One man, Robert Decker, was recovered alive from where a Cougar Helicopters chopper went down Thursday, after issuing a mayday and an alert about technical problems at about 9:18 NT, or 7:48 a.m. ET.





(CBC) 

Searchers, however, brought back one dead person to St. John's.

Lt. David Bowen, a Halifax-based official with military search and rescue, said two life-rafts were located, but no one was aboard.

Although the helicopter had sunk beneath the surface, Bowen said search crews are trying to remain optimistic.

"This is a search and rescue mission," he told CBC News.

Earlier, officials in St. John's were unable to say Thursday afternoon how many people survived after the helicopter, which was carrying 18 people and heading to two offshore oilfields, ditched into the ocean.

"We only have one person at this point," Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters, told reporters in St. John's.

Denis McGuire, who works with the search and rescue co-ordination centre, said officials are being cautious about the fate of the passengers aboard the helicopter, a Sikorsky S92 known as Cougar 911.

"We do not have any indication that anyone was in the life-raft," McGuire told reporters.

Crew aboard Cougar 911 were largely working at the White Rose offshore oilfield, southeast of St. John's. Two were stationed at the nearby Hibernia platform.

Another chopper, also operated by Cougar Helicopters, arrived at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's at noon, and the survivor was carried to the hospital on a stretcher.

Eastern Health told CBC News that it has cleared its emergency rooms to prepare for what it described as patients who are critically ill and hypothermic.

However, officials later told ambulances that had been waiting near a helipad that they were not needed for the time being.

Crew reported mechanical problems
Lt. David Bowen, a Halifax-based official with military search and rescue, told CBC News that two persons were spotted in the water, about 87 kilometres east-southeast of Newfoundland.

Julie Leroux, an official with the Transportation Safety Board, said the helicopter's crew reported mechanical problems, but they did not know the nature of those problems.

Two of the people aboard the helicopter were contractors working at the Hibernia fixed platform nearby, Hibernia president Paul Sacuta said in a statement. He said Hibernia was assisting Calgary-based Husky, the operator of the White Rose project, and search and rescue crews.

High winds were reported as aircraft — including a military plane and Cormorant helicopters — were dispatched to the scene.

The coast guard has also sent one of its ships, and companies active in the offshore oil industry have joined the effort. A supply ship was also en route to the scene.

Cougar Helicopters, which operates the choppers that fly to and from the three oilfields in production off Newfoundland, said it is preparing a statement.

'All of a sudden, we saw the cameras and police'
Meanwhile, crews that arrived at Cougar's base, near the main terminal at the St. John's airport, were told they could not be ferried offshore on Thursday morning.

"All of a sudden, we saw the cameras and police," said Rick Strickland, a steward aboard the Hibernia platform, describing the scene as he learned his transport to the Hibernia platform had been suspended.

Having made regular shuttles to the Hibernia platform since 1997, Strickland said safety is a priority, although he has such assurance in the helicopters and their crew that he usually sleeps during the flights, which take between 75 and 90 minutes.

"It doesn't scare me as such, no. [But] it always crosses your mind at some point," he said.

Cougar 911 usually flies crews to and from the Hibernia platform, about 315 kilometres southeast of St. John's, and St. John's International Airport. On Thursday, however, it was working with a crew stationed at the floating Sea Rose platform, at the White Rose field.


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## Mike Baker (12 Mar 2009)

What a sad day here in NL. One of my friends works out on White Rose. A tense few hours went by until we found out that he flew out there yesterday.

I've grown up with people who work offshore, wither it be fishing or for oil, and I know how dangerous it can be. My father and I both have some ideas as to what may be going on with it, but it's just pure speculation, so I won't post it up right now.


My thoughts and prayers, as well as that of everyone I am sure, are with the family, friends, and colleagues of these souls.

RIP to the one confirmed fatality, and a speedy recovery to Mr. Decker.


Sad sad day


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Last updated at 4:01 PM on 12/03/09   

Update: Survivor identified; one dead, search continues for 16 others  
BY ROB ANTLE AND MOIRA BAIRD 
The Telegram

Rescuers are continuing a feverish search in the North Atlantic this afternoon for 16 people aboard a helicopter that ditched in the ocean hours earlier.
One person was confirmed dead, officials said. 
One survivor was transported by helicopter to hospital in St. John’s.
Officials identified the survivor as Robert Decker. Decker was hoisted aboard a Cougar helicopter that arrived at the site within 45 minutes. No other details were available.
The Sikorsky S-92 helicopter ditched in the Atlantic Ocean 65 kilometres off St. John’s shortly after 9 a.m. It was on its way to the SeaRose FPSO and the Hibernia platform.
The helicopter turned around to head back to St. John’s after the pilot radioed in news of technical problems.
Fourteen of those aboard were passengers bound for the SeaRose FPSO. Two were headed to Hibernia. The other two were Cougar crew members.
A Provincial Airlines flight preparing for an offshore ice reconnaissance patrol was on the scene within minutes, officials said.
The Provincial pilot reported seeing the Sikorsky chopper floating upside down in the water. The helicopter has since sunk.
“One person has been rescued,” said Trevor Pritchard, general manager of operations with Husky Energy, the operator of the White Rose oil field. 
“The helicopter is not on the surface of the water any more, and the search effort is going on right now.”
A Canadian Forces Aurora was on the scene within an hour of the ditching. As of early afternoon, there were two Cormorant helicopters in the area, plus two Canadian Forces fixed-wing aircraft — the Aurora and a C-130.
There was a debris field at the site, officials said.
Two life rafts deployed, but were empty.
Maj. Denis McGuire of the joint rescue co-ordination centre in Halifax said passengers wearing survival suits could last up to 24 hours in the current conditions.
“This is a very difficult time for Cougar, our colleagues, our customers and the families,” Rick Burt, general manger of Cougar Helicopters, told reporters in a hastily called news briefing.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.”
Burt said Cougar has suspended regular offshore operations while the company assesses what happened.
Family members of the passengers and crew were being briefed at a hotel near St. John’s airport.
Officials could not say when the names of the others aboard would be made public


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

From CBC:

See an update at 7:30 p.m. NT (6 p.m. ET) on the search for the Cougar crew


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

Statement by the Minister of National Defence on the ongoing Search and Rescue operation on the East Coast
NR–09.013 - March 12, 2009

OTTAWA - The Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, issued the following statement today on today’s helicopter crash off the coast of Newfoundland: 

"I join all Canadians in hoping for the best possible outcome in today’s tragic helicopter crash. The Canadian Forces, the Canadian Coast Guard and their partners in this coordinated response will spare no effort in the continuing search and rescue operation.  I spoke with Premier Danny Williams and assured him that everything possible is being done to search for survivors.

I would also like to offer my deepest sympathies and prayers to the family and loved ones of the individual who, tragically, did not survive today’s crash.”


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## Nfld Sapper (12 Mar 2009)

No signals from locator beacons on suits worn by oil workers: officials
Last Updated: Thursday, March 12, 2009 | 10:21 PM NT CBC News






A Sikorsky S92 helicopter flown by Cougar Helicopters crashed Thursday morning while en route to the White Rose and Hibernia oilfields. (Cougar Helicopters) 
Hours after a helicopter carrying offshore oil workers crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southeast of St. John's, N.L., officials have still not received any locator signals from the beacons attached to survivor suits the people aboard were wearing.

A search and rescue operation will continue throughout the night for the 16 people still missing, out of a total 18 who were on board when the Cougar Helicopters chopper went down Thursday, officials said during a news conference.

"At this time, all we’ve got is the debris field. No indications of any survivors, but the search will continue, and obviously, we’ll hope for the best," said Maj. Denis McGuire, a spokesman for the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax.

One man, Robert Decker, was recovered alive from the area where the Sikorsky S92 chopper, known as Cougar 911, crashed.

Searchers also brought back the body of one person killed in the crash to St. John's. No further details were released. Two empty life-rafts were also found near the crash site.

The helicopter was heading to two offshore oilfields. At about 9:18 a.m. NT, or 7:48 a.m. ET, its crew issued a mayday and an alert about technical problems, saying there was a main gearbox oil-pressure problem and requesting clearance to return to St. John's.

The Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter, which had turned back to St. John's after issuing the mayday, crashed into the water about 37 minutes later. The crash is believed to have occurred about 65 kilometres east-southeast of Newfoundland.

McGuire also said that so far, there were "no signals, whatsoever from any of the [beacons]."

"I cannot speculate on why they wouldn’t have worked or what the issues may have been, but we did not receive any signals," he said.

The low-power beacons are designed to work when people are on the surface of the water, officials said. All passengers and crew must wear a survivor suit before they board a helicopter. Authorities said a healthy adult wearing a survival suit could be expected to live for about 24 hours in the frigid Atlantic waters. 





(CBC) 

Decker was listed in critical condition in hospital in St. John's. A source told CBC News he had aspirated sea water and was being treated in intensive care for hypothermia and a broken bone.

Earlier Thursday afternoon, officials in St. John's were unable to say how many people survived after the helicopter, which was heading to two offshore oilfields, ditched into the ocean.

"We only have one person at this point," Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters, told reporters in St. John's.

"This is a very difficult time for Cougar, our colleagues, our customers and their families," said Burt, who was visibly shaken during two afternoon briefings with journalists.





From left to right, Maj. Denis McGuire of the Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters and Trevor Pritchard of Husky Energy speak at a press conference regarding the helicopter crash in the North Atlantic. (Paul Daly/Canadian Press) 

The crash is the first time a helicopter carrying offshore oil workers has gone down since oil was first pumped on the Grand Banks in 1997. The choppers are essentially shuttles for workers coming on and off shift, and are familiar sights in the skies of St. John's.

Julie Leroux, an official with the Transportation Safety Board, said the helicopter's crew reported mechanical problems, but they did not know the nature of those problems.

In 1982, the then-developing industry was rocked when 84 men died when the Ocean Ranger, a drilling rig that was exploring for oil in the Grand Banks, sank during a winter storm.

Worried relatives gather at family centre
Crew aboard Cougar 911 were largely working at the White Rose offshore oilfield, southeast of St. John's. Two were stationed at the nearby Hibernia platform. Two of the people aboard the helicopter worked directly for Cougar Helicopters.

Calgary-based Husky, the operator of the White Rose project, and Hibernia Management both said they are assisting with the search and rescue effort.

Another chopper, also operated by Cougar Helicopters, arrived at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's at noon with Decker, who was rushed into the hospital on a stretcher.

Hopes had been high earlier in the day for a larger, immediate rescue. Eastern Health told CBC News that it had cleared its emergency rooms to prepare for what it described as patients who are critically ill and hypothermic.

However, officials later told ambulances that had been waiting near a helipad that they were not needed for the time being.

A family centre has been set up at the Comfort Inn next to the headquarters of Cougar Helicopters at St. John's airport. Worried relatives could be seen walking back and forth between the two buildings, while other people sat in their vehicles in the parking lot, listening to news reports on the radio and talking on cell phones.

Joe Delaney said he's concerned for his nephew, who went out on a flight this morning.

"He was here yesterday, got bumped off his flight, ended up coming back again this morning," he said. "So we're uncertain now as to where it stands."

High winds reported
High winds were reported as aircraft — including a military plane and two Cormorant helicopters — were dispatched to the scene.

The coast guard also sent one of its ships, and companies active in the offshore oil industry have joined the effort. A supply ship was also en route to the scene.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams described the crash as a "terrible tragedy off of our shores."

"We are a seafaring people who have for centuries lived from the sea, people risking their lives every day to provide for their families and contribute to this province. And yet, we will never, ever be able to accept the loss of precious lives to the sea," Williams said in a statement.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, speaking during question period on Thursday, said he had called Williams earlier in the day.

"I know all of us in this chamber want to share our thoughts and prayers with the families who are anxiously awaiting word on their loved ones."

Flights to Hibernia platform suspended
Meanwhile, crews that arrived at Cougar's base, near the main terminal at the St. John's airport, were told they could not be ferried offshore on Thursday morning.

"All of a sudden, we saw the cameras and police," said Rick Strickland, a steward aboard the Hibernia platform, describing the scene as he learned his transport to the Hibernia platform had been suspended.

Having made regular shuttles to the Hibernia platform since 1997, Strickland said safety is a priority. He has such confidence in the helicopters and their crew that he usually sleeps during the flights, which take between 75 and 90 minutes.

"It doesn't scare me as such, no. [But] it always crosses your mind at some point," he said.

Cougar 911 usually flies crews to and from the Hibernia platform, about 315 kilometres southeast of St. John's, and St. John's International Airport. On Thursday, however, it was working with a crew stationed at the floating Sea Rose platform, at the White Rose field.


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## Nfld Sapper (13 Mar 2009)

Executive Council
March 12, 2009

The following statement was issued today by the Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

It is with a very heavy heart that we heard today of a terrible tragedy off of our shores. 

I want to express my most heartfelt and sincere condolences to the family and friends of the individual who has been confirmed lost. I cannot begin to imagine the sorrow and despair of those who are left to mourn this incredible tragedy. We also assure the families of those who remain missing, that the thoughts and prayers of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are with them during this most difficult time.

We are a seafaring people who have for centuries lived from the sea; people risking their lives every day to provide for their families and contribute to this province. And yet, we will never, ever be able to accept the loss of precious lives to the sea.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Decker and his family.

We remain optimistic as the search and rescue efforts continue and pray for the recovery of the remaining persons who were involved in this tragic accident.

- 30 -

Media contacts:

Elizabeth Matthews
Director of Communications
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca

Roger Scaplen
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
709-729-4304, 727-0991
rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca   

2009 03 12                                                    4:25 p.m.


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## Nfld Sapper (13 Mar 2009)

Harrowing search continues for helicopter crew off Newfoundland
Last Updated: Friday, March 13, 2009 | 9:40 AM NT 
CBC News





A Cormorant helicopter and a Maersk supply vessel scan a vast area of the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday in an attempt to locate survivors of a helicopter crash. (Sgt. Steve Rutt, Canadian Forces)

A sombre 24-hour window of survival passed on Friday morning, as search crews nonetheless combed a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean to find any signs of life in the wake of a helicopter crash east of Newfoundland.

One man was pulled alive from the ocean on Thursday, hours after the Cougar Helicopters craft went down with 18 aboard, after its crew reported mechanical problems.





(CBC)

 Searchers also recovered the body of a passenger aboard Cougar 911, which was ferrying workers to the White Rose and Hibernia offshore oil platforms when it ran into trouble.

A mayday was issued at 9:18 a.m. NT, or 7:38 a.m. ET, as the helicopter crew reported mechanical problems. Authorities later said the crew indicated it was "ditching," implying that a controlled crash was planned. The chopper, which sank beneath the water, went down about eight minutes later.

Time has been precious in the search, as officials reckoned that the 16 missing persons could last about 24 hours in the mandatory survival suits they wore during the flight. 

Military aircraft, coast guard vessels and company ships have been on the scene since Thursday morning.

"We will continue to search until there is absolutely no chance that any survivors can be located.… We will obviously hope for the best. We plan on searching at this time till the last light [Friday]," Maj. Denis McGuire, who ordinarily works with the Halifax-based search and rescue co-ordination centre, told reporters in St. John's on Thursday night.

Two Cormorants and a Hercules aircraft rejoined the search at dawn Friday, relieving an overnight aerial search aided by night-vision goggles.

Indications, though, are that there are no new signs that would lead to further rescues.

"Right now [there are] no additional results. The search has come up with nothing at this point," Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters, told CBC News on Friday morning.

The cause of the crash is not known, although information posted to a Transport Canada online database indicated that a mayday at 9:18 a.m. NT, or 7:48 ET, was called because of a "main gear box oil pressure problem."

Officials on Thursday night, however, said there is no definitive word on why the chopper — which was returning to St. John's after it encountered mechanical problems — went down.

"We don't have any of that information right now and we can't confirm what may have happened that would all be speculation," McGuire said.

Officials said they would make every effort to find the 16 missing passengers of Cougar 911, although few signs have been found to indicate reasons for hope.

'That chopper went down hard'
Two empty life-rafts were recovered near debris scattered over at least six nautical miles, or about 11 kilometres.

As well, searchers have found no sign of the emergency beacons that each person was carrying in a survival suit. The beacons immediately set themselves off when a "sea switch" comes into contact with water.

Family members and friends were bracing for the worst.

"Well they're doing the best they can, but it doesn't look very promising right now," said Harold Mullowney, whose brother Derek was aboard the helicopter.

"The search will continue, but it looks like that chopper went down hard and they're probably still in it. We hope they're not."

Mullowney said his brother had had a brush with the Ocean Ranger disaster, which lingers prominently in the memories of most people in Newfoundland and Labrador. Derek Mullowney was off-duty when the oil rig, which was exploring for oil on the Grand Banks, sank during a vicious winter storm in 1982, killing all 84 aboard.

The disaster prompted a royal commission of inquiry, which found weak safety measures and recommended a significant overhaul in training and security procedures.


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## Nfld Sapper (13 Mar 2009)

Flights to N.L. oil platforms halted
Last Updated: Friday, March 13, 2009 | 8:43 AM NT 
CBC News 

All flights to and from the platforms producing oil off Newfoundland's southeast coast have been temporarily suspended, in the wake of Thursday's helicopter crash.

Supply vessels are on standby, if needed, to transport crew from the fixed Hibernia platform, as well as the floating platforms that work on the nearby Terra Nova and White Rose fields. All are in the same area on the Grand Banks, and are more than 300 kilometres from St. John's.

Crews heading to the platforms on Thursday were sent home after they arrived at the Cougar Helicopters base, at St. John's International Airport.

Trevor Pritchard, manager for Husky Oil's operations on the east coast, said what is called "active work" on the Sea Rose platform at the White Rose field has been halted.

However, he said the platform cannot simply stop pumping oil.

"Production remains up. It's the safest way to handle this kind of situation," Pritchard told a news conference Thursday evening.

"If you stop production and start production, this kind of gas pressures move up and down. It's better to leave the facility as it stands. It's well controlled."

Fourteen of the 18 people aboard the crashed Cougar helicopter were headed to the White Rose field. Two were to have been dropped off first at the Hibernia platform, and the other pair aboard the chopper worked for Cougar.

One man, Robert Decker, was pulled alive from the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, and the body of a deceased person was recovered.

Searchers continued to scan a stretch of the ocean Friday for any sign of survivors.


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## Nfld Sapper (13 Mar 2009)

MARCH 13, 2009
ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND 

On the morning of March 12th, 2009 a Cougar S92 helicopter ditched in the Atlantic ocean approximately 65 kilometers east of St. John’s, Nfld. The flight was en route to the SeaRose FPSO and Hibernia Platform when the crew reported technical problems and elected to return to St. John’s. 

There were eighteen people on board the helicopter, including fourteen passengers destined for the SeaRose FPSO, two passengers destined for Hibernia and two Cougar Helicopters crew members. 

Cougar Helicopters immediately activated emergency response procedures which included notification of Search and Rescue parties. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) continues to lead the search and rescue effort. It is expected that the search and rescue operations will continue throughout the day and Cougar continues to support the JRCC through this process. 

This tragic event is very difficult for Cougar Helicopters, the families and friends of those affected and all associated parties. All involved in the rescue and recovery efforts are doing their absolute best to provide information and assistance to families as the search and recovery progresses. 

Presently, Cougar Helicopters has suspended regular offshore operations until the circumstances surrounding this event have been properly assessed. Cougar Helicopters continues to remain focused on the family and friends of the personnel affected and on the needs of our employees and customers. Cougar is committed to providing all resources possible and our thoughts are with the family and friends of all involved at this very difficult time.


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## Nfld Sapper (13 Mar 2009)

No Success in Search So Far
March 13, 2009

The hours are ticking away, and Search and Rescue efforts have still come up empty in the search for the 16 missing people from the Cougar helicopter crash. Major Denis McGuire with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax says  they  will continue to focus their search efforts on the surface of the water until they hand it over to the RCMP and Transportation Safety Board who will decide whether to lower a camera or conduct an underwater search. The names of the victims will also be withheld until released by police at a later time.  A search update has been scheduled for 5:00 pm.

The Transportation Safety Board may attempt a recovery of the aircraft in the coming days. Spokesman Mike Cunningham says right now their priority is to assist the Coast Guard, but they may consider recovering the helicopter as part of their investigation. The depth of the water in the area is approximately 120 metres. The Transportation Safety Board is holding a news conference beginning momentarily. Officials are going before the microphones at St. John's airport. VOCM News is there and will have details as soon as they become available.

The one survivor, Robert Decker, is beginning to show signs of some recovery according to Trevor Pritchard of Husky Energy, but he did not have any further information on his condition. Decker was plucked from the water by another Cougar helicopter, where he is listed in critical but stable condition. 
Meanwhile, some workers on board the SeaRose FPSO have been removed from the rig. They came ashore via one of the supply vessels. Husky says it was for various reasons, and that some 14 workers were removed. Pritchard, says this is a very difficult time. He says they remain hopeful. Husky Energy has put a number of measures in place to help the families of the victims and their co-workers. Pritchard says they have staff working with employees to assess whatever needs they may have at this difficult time. He says production offshore is continuing, but active work has stopped for the time being.

Offshore workers are trained in safety and rescue procedures. Rick Burt of Cougar Helicopters says the workers, in their survival suits, would have prepared for a 'ditch'. Burt says once the aircraft was in the water, they're trained to evacuate immediately.

At the time the Cougar helicopter went down, there were no Cormorant helicopters at 9 Wing Gander. Major Denis McGuire says three Cormorants and twp C-130's were dispatched from Sydney, Nova Scotia. It took the aircraft approximately one hour to reach the scene. McGuire says the Cormorants normally in Gander were involved in a training exercise near Sydney. Major McGuire says it's hard to predict where a Search and Rescue aircraft will be needed. A Cougar helicopter was the first on the scene, aided by a fixed-wing aircraft from Provincial Airlines.

Don Squires of St. John's works on the Hibernia Platform, but is home nursing an injury he suffered in a recent car accident. Otherwise, he says he'd be back to work. Squires was just one of many employees and co-workers looking for answers yesterday, concerned for the men he calls his "family".

Perry White of Mount Pearl was scheduled to go offshore yesterday, but was delayed for a day because of the flu. His son Matt, says his father is shaken and the entire family is waiting to hear the latest news.

Premier Danny Williams says he cannot begin to imagine the sorrow and despair of those who are left to mourn the tragedy. He says the thoughts and prayers of everyone are with those affected during this most difficult time.

St. John's Mayor Dennis O'Keefe says resilience has brought us to where we are today, and resilience will guide us again in future. He has expressed condolences and support to the families affected by the tragedy.


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## Nfld Sapper (13 Mar 2009)

Search to end for 16 missing in helicopter crash off Newfoundland
Last Updated: Friday, March 13, 2009 | 5:22 PM NT 
CBC News  






A Cormorant helicopter and a Maersk supply vessel scan a vast area of the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday in an attempt to locate survivors after a helicopter crashed east of Newfoundland. (Sgt. Steve Rutt/Canadian Forces) 

Grim-faced officials said late Friday afternoon they will halt a search for 16 people who are still missing in the wake of a helicopter crash east of Newfoundland.

Aircraft and vessels that have been combing a wide stretch of the Atlantic Ocean will complete their work at sundown, or around 7:30 p.m. NT, Maj. Denis McGuire told reporters.

The matter will then be turned over to the Transportation Safety Board and to the RCMP, who will treat it as a missing persons case, he said.

"Unfortunately, there were no sightings whatsoever of any persons in the water," McGuire said earlier Friday.





(CBC)

 One man was pulled alive from the ocean on Thursday, hours after the Cougar Helicopters craft went down with 18 aboard, after its crew reported mechanical problems.

Searchers also recovered the body of a passenger aboard Cougar 911, which was ferrying workers to the White Rose and Hibernia offshore oil platforms when it ran into trouble.

A mayday was issued at 9:40 a.m. NT Thursday as the helicopter crew reported mechanical problems, McGuire said. Until Friday morning, search and rescue officials had said the mayday was issued 30 minutes earlier, with authorities mistakenly calculating Atlantic time as Newfoundland time.

Authorities later said the crew indicated it was "ditching," implying that a controlled crash was planned. The chopper, which sank beneath the water, went down about eight minutes later.

Time has been precious in the search, as officials reckoned that the 16 missing people could last about 24 hours in the mandatory survival suits they wore during the flight. 

Military aircraft, coast guard vessels and company ships have been on the scene since Thursday morning.





Cougar Helicopters provides shuttle services for crews flying from St. John's to offshore oil platforms. (Courtesy of Cougar Helicopters) 

"We will obviously hope for the best. We plan on searching at this time till the last light [Friday]," McGuire, who ordinarily works with the Halifax-based search and rescue co-ordination centre, told reporters in St. John's on Thursday night.

Two Cormorants and a Hercules aircraft rejoined the search at dawn Friday, relieving an overnight aerial search aided by night-vision goggles.

Indications, though, suggest no new signs that would lead to further rescues.

"Right now [there are] no additional results. The search has come up with nothing at this point," Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters, told CBC News on Friday morning.

The cause of the crash is not known, although information posted to a Transport Canada online database indicated that the mayday was called because of a "main gear box oil pressure problem."

Officials, however, maintain there is no definitive word on why the chopper — which was returning to St. John's after it encountered mechanical problems — went down.

"We don't have any of that information right now and we can't confirm what may have happened — that would all be speculation," McGuire said Thursday night.

'That chopper went down hard'
Two empty life-rafts were recovered near debris scattered over at least six nautical miles, or about 11 kilometres.





One body was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after a Cougar 911 helicopter crashed not long after reporting mechanical problems. (CBC) 

As well, searchers have found no sign of the emergency beacons that each person was carrying in a survival suit. The beacons immediately set themselves off when a "sea switch" comes into contact with water.

Family members and friends were bracing for the worst.

"Well, they're doing the best they can, but it doesn't look very promising right now," said Harold Mullowney, whose brother Derek was aboard the helicopter.

"The search will continue, but it looks like that chopper went down hard and they're probably still in it. We hope they're not."

Mullowney said his brother had had a brush with the Ocean Ranger disaster, which lingers prominently in the memories of most people in Newfoundland and Labrador. Derek Mullowney was off-duty when the oil rig, which was exploring for oil on the Grand Banks, sank during a vicious winter storm in 1982, killing all 84 aboard.

The disaster prompted a royal commission of inquiry, which found weak safety measures and recommended a significant overhaul in training and security procedures


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## BradCon (13 Mar 2009)

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090313/national/nl_chopper_crash




BAY BULLS, N.L. - As hope faded on Friday for the rescue of 16 people lost in a helicopter crash at sea, Don Drew expressed the deepening grief that swept over several fishing outports that dot the landscape of Newfoundland's Southern Shore.

"This whole area is devastated," the mayor of Bay Bulls said in an interview.

"Everyone feels it."

The search for the 16 missing people after the helicopter crash in the North Atlantic was called off at sundown Friday, with rescue officials acknowledging there appeared to be no more survivors.

One man was rescued shortly after the crash on Thursday morning and one body was recovered. The names of the dead person and the missing people were not released on Friday.

Residents throughout the province mourned the tragic end. But the loss was particularly felt along the Avalon Peninsula's east coast - a postcard stretch of road that makes up the Irish Loop - where many men have left the once-prosperous fishery to work in the province's offshore oil industry.

Drew said as many as seven who were aboard the ill-fated Sikorsky S-92 owned by Cougar Helicopters come from the tiny communities along the Southern Shore.

"It's just taking the life out of the area," he said.

Derrick Mullowney, one of the missing, lived in Bay Bulls, a town of 1,100 people about 35 kilometres south of St. John's.

Mullowney's sister-in-law was in tears as she spoke about the accident.

"We only buried his father about a month ago. His father died on Jan. 30 and now this," Sharon Mullowney said.

She said the 52-year-old Mullowney worked in the offshore for 28 or 29 years.

Maj. Denis McGuire of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said the RCMP and Transport Canada were taking over what has been classified as a recovery mission.

"We've gone beyond that 24-hour life expectancy time for someone in an immersion suit," McGuire said in announcing the end of the search in St. John's.

"The likelihood (of finding survivors) is no longer there."

The Sikorsky S-92 was carrying 18 as it ferried workers to offshore oil platforms off Newfoundland when it ditched in the ocean on after reporting mechanical problems.

McGuire said the families of the missing were "distraught" at the decision to end the search but understood there was no chance of more survivors.

"It's been a challenging day but we've come together as a group to support each other," he said.

Mike Cunningham, lead investigator for the Transportation Safety Board, said plans had begun to lift the wrecked helicopter from 120 metres of water in the next week.

"We don't know a lot about what we'll be facing," he said at a news conference in St. John's. "We want to do it safely and we want to do it as quickly as possible."

Cunningham said it's possible that balloons could be placed under the helicopter and then inflated to raise it to the surface.

But before that happens, he said a remote submersible equipped with cameras will be sent to the ocean floor as soon as Saturday to examine the wreck.

Cunningham said they will have to be careful not to damage the chopper during the lift.

"This helicopter is full of water now, so it's quite heavy and it's not designed to be lifted full of water. It's designed to fly through the air."

Crews on a Cormorant helicopter and Hercules aircraft used night-vision goggles to search a vast expanse of ocean overnight on Thursday but found no sign of those missing.

The only survivor, Robert Decker, was in a St. John's hospital. He was listed in critical but stable condition in the hospital's intensive care unit.

"He is starting to show signs of some recovery," said Trevor Pritchard, general manager of Husky Oil, operator of the Sea Rose floating production vessel on the White Rose oilfield.

McGuire said they didn't know how Decker was able to get out of the ditched helicopter.

Premier Danny Williams told reporters he has known Decker for years through his daughter and her friends.

"He's very personable, very light-hearted, very humorous, fun-loving, and a great individual," he said. "He's a typical Newfoundlander and Labradorian."

Williams said Decker was a member of a St. John's yacht club and is familiar with the water. He speculated his experience as a sailor might have helped him when the chopper ditched.

"Certainly, his recollection of exactly what happened out there will be very, very important to a lot of people," the premier said.

Williams said his office has been deluged with calls from across the country and some from around the world from people touched by the disaster.

"They've indicated their sympathies, their expressions of comfort and that their prayers are certainly with us," he said.

The helicopter, piloted by two crew members, was carrying 14 workers to Sea Rose and another two to Hibernia when it experienced technical problems.

Workers who have made the flight to the offshore platforms - located roughly 350 kilometres east of St. John's - say they are fully aware of the risk inherent in their jobs.

Perry White, an offshore worker since 1982, said the possibility of a crash enters his mind every time he climbs into one of the helicopters.

"But then again, when you look at fatalities for helicopters and you look at fatalities for cars, you're more likely to be hit by a bread truck crossing the road," said Perry, who was supposed to fly out to a rig later Thursday but was home sick with the flu.

"My way of looking at it is, if you let that stuff play on your mind, then you're not going to be out there at all."


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## Nfld Sapper (14 Mar 2009)

Grief, shock envelop N.L. in wake of helicopter crash
Flags at half-mast across province to mourn 17 dead 
Last Updated: Saturday, March 14, 2009 | 10:47 AM NT 
CBC News  

Blue skies and calm seas in eastern Newfoundland on Saturday belied the terrifying reality that has sunk in, as residents come to grips with the fact that 17 people died when a helicopter crashed and sank.





A Cougar Helicopters aircraft crashed east-southeast of St. John's on Thursday morning. (CBC) 

The search for a Cougar Helicopters shuttle was called off as the sun set Friday evening, about 34 hours after the chopper, carrying 18 people, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. Apart from the two helicopter crew members, those on board were heading to two offshore oil platforms southeast of St. John's.

One person, Robert Decker, was pulled alive from the ocean and remains in intensive care in a St. John's hospital.

The body of Allison Maher, 26, a Mount Pearl resident, was pulled from the ocean on Thursday morning. A funeral is planned for Monday in Fermeuse, a small community south of St. John's.

Flags at Newfoundland and Labrador government buildings and at other locations are flying at half-mast as a frantic search turns now to a recovery effort.

The crash has had a profound effect in the province, particularly among people who work in the oil industry and in the tight-knit communities where the deceased had lived.

"It upsets me a lot. I have a lot of friends, people that I know that [are] involved into this accident," said Gary Tibbo, who recently returned home from working in the oil industry in the Middle East.

"And it hurts." 

The Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to release more details Saturday of how a 20-member team, including experts drawn from the U.S. who specialize in helicopters, will attempt to raise the chopper, a Sikorsky S-92, that authorities believe is beneath about 120 metres of water.


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## Nfld Sapper (14 Mar 2009)

Husky Expresses Sympathy to the Families of the Crew & Contractors


March 13, 2009

St. John's, NL - Mr. John C.S. Lau, President & Chief Executive Officer, and all Husky employees wish to express their deepest sympathy to those who lost relatives and friends in the March 12 helicopter incident, offshore Newfoundland, Canada.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those who have been lost in this tragic event,” Mr. Lau said. “Together with the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, we mourn this loss.” 

Husky personnel and counselors have been in St. John's, Newfoundland, providing support to the families. The Company will continue to cooperate with the multi-agency and the Transportation Safety Board's recovery effort that is now underway.

Husky appreciates and acknowledges the efforts of the people and agencies involved in the search and rescue response.


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## Nfld Sapper (14 Mar 2009)

Message from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, following the helicopter accident near Newfoundland
March 13, 2009

It was with great sadness that my husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and I learned of the terrible helicopter accident that occurred yesterday east of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The 18 people on board, including two members of the Cougar Helicopters flight crew, 14 workers from the Sea Rose floating production vessel and two from the Hibernia platform, were en route to oil platforms.

My thoughts go out first to the concerned families and loved ones of the person who died and of those who are still missing. I would also like to extend my deepest sympathies to the colleagues who are mourning this tragedy. Our thoughts are also with the injured survivor, to whom we wish a speedy recovery. 

I would like to thank the officers of the Coast Guard for their tireless and monumental efforts deployed during the rescue operation.

Michaëlle Jean

‑ 30 ‑

Media information
Isabelle Serrurier  
Rideau Hall Press Office   
613-998-7280  
www.gg.ca      
www.citizenvoices.gg.ca


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## Mike Baker (14 Mar 2009)

Damn. This is hard news for a province that is so close to one another. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those lost to such a tragic event. This is something that will be in our minds forever. Hopefully soon we will find out the cause of this accident, and be able to fix any problems. But, going out to the rigs will always be a treacherous trip.


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## Nfld Sapper (14 Mar 2009)

Sonar sweep may have located helicopter fuselage: TSB 
Last Updated: Saturday, March 14, 2009 | 2:03 PM NT 
CBC News  

A scan of the sea floor southeast of St. John's has located what is believed to be the wreckage of a helicopter that killed 17 people, officials said Saturday.

A sonar sweep detected an "anomaly," Transportation Safety Board of Canada lead investigator Mike Cunningham told reporters at a briefing.

The sweep was done from the Atlantic Osprey, a supply vessel that works in the offshore oil industry.

Cunningham said the sweep showed the ground floor was largely flat and featureless. Cunningham said investigators believe the scan points to where a Cougar Helicopters aircraft came to rest after crashing into the Atlantic Ocean.

Only one person survived the crash. The body of a woman was pulled from the ocean on Thursday and searchers have been unable to locate the remaining 16 who were on board. At sunset on Friday evening, a search for survivors turned into a recovery effort, with the TSB launching an investigation into what went wrong. 

Underwater remote-operated vehicles were in the water Saturday afternoon to glean more information about the helicopter, which may still contain the bodies of the missing.

"Our next goal is to positively identify what that sonar anomaly is, and we're all hoping for good news in that regard," said Cunningham.

The TSB has assembled a team of 20 people, including five experts from the U.S. who specialize in helicopters, to work on the investigation.

Cunningham said Canadian military officials have volunteered their assistance.

He said the Osprey was also carrying RCMP investigators as well as officials from Cougar Helicopters and Sikorsky, the chopper's manufacturer.

"If everything goes well, if Mother Nature co-operates with us, if nothing goes against us, we're hoping that we may lift that aircraft out of the water on Monday or Tuesday," Cunningham said.

He added that once the fuselage is recovered, the team will "very respectfully" remove the bodies from the fuselage.


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## Nfld Sapper (14 Mar 2009)

Crashed helicopter found on sea floor, recovery planned
Last Updated: Saturday, March 14, 2009 | 3:31 PM NT 
CBC News 





Mike Cunningham said a TSB team hopes to raise the sunken Cougar Helicopters aircraft early next week. (CBC)

The Transportation Safety Board has confirmed the location of an oil industry helicopter that crashed into the ocean southeast of Newfoundland on Thursday, killing 17 people.

"It looks like the fuselage is relatively intact," lead investigator Mike Cunningham told CBC News on Saturday afternoon, after an underwater remote-operated vehicle confirmed the location of a Cougar Helicopters aircraft that went down in the frigid Atlantic waters.

"It is laying on the bottom, on its side. The tail boom of the helicopter is broken off, but it is laying right beside the rest of the fuselage."

No bodies were, as yet, located, said Cunningham, adding that families had been notified.

Earlier, Cunningham told a media briefing that a sonar scan had found "a fairly large anomaly," which investigators believed was the Cougar Helicopters aircraft that crashed.

Cunningham said the initial sweep showed the ground floor was largely flat and featureless.

Only one person survived the crash. The body of a woman was pulled from the ocean on Thursday and searchers have been unable to locate the remaining 16 who were on board. At sunset on Friday evening, a search for survivors turned into a recovery effort, with the TSB launching an investigation into what went wrong. 

Underwater remote-operated vehicles were in the water Saturday afternoon to glean more information about the helicopter, which may still contain the bodies of the missing.

The TSB has assembled a team of 20 people, including five experts from the U.S. who specialize in helicopters, to work on the investigation.

Cunningham said Canadian military officials have volunteered their assistance.

He said the Osprey was also carrying RCMP investigators as well as officials from Cougar Helicopters and Sikorsky, the chopper's manufacturer.

"If everything goes well, if Mother Nature co-operates with us, if nothing goes against us, we're hoping that we may lift that aircraft out of the water on Monday or Tuesday," Cunningham said.

He added that once the fuselage is recovered, the team will "very respectfully" remove the bodies from the fuselage.


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## Nfld Sapper (14 Mar 2009)

Cougar crash survivor Robert Decker’s family releases statement  
The Telegram


The following statement is being distributed on behalf of the family of Robert Decker:
 First and foremost, to the families of Robert’s co-workers and friends, you are in our every thought. Since our world changed on Thursday morning, there hasn’t been an hour pass or a prayer said that hasn’t included you. We feel your loss, we share many of your questions but, at this point, we have no more answers than you.
 Secondly, to the staff of the Health Sciences Complex, we offer gratitude beyond expression. Robert continues to receive unbelievable care from a very compassionate and skilled team. We specifically acknowledge his ICU nurses and doctors who have not left his side and treat him with respect, commitment and a kindness which continues to move us.
 We also have to acknowledge Robert’s co-workers within the offshore industry, including the Search and Rescue team. Your concern and support is helping us all get through this.
We wish to make a brief statement on Robert’s health. Upon admission to the Health Sciences Complex, Robert was in critical condition and he was immediately placed on a ventilator and life support, where he remains. He was revived for a period of time on Friday and showed awareness of his surroundings and the family members who were with him. However, the ventilator prevented him from speaking. He continues to be heavily sedated and in stable, but critical condition. We continue to pray for his full recovery and have complete trust in his medical team.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge the many prayers offered and the supportive words said about Robert over the last few days by his many friends and co-workers. At this time, however, we ask that you also remember in your thoughts and prayers the other families who are dealing with such a profound loss.
The Family of Robert Decker


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## Nfld Sapper (14 Mar 2009)

Crashed helicopter found on sea floor, recovery planned
RCMP identify 10 of 17 killed in crash off Newfoundland's east coast
Last Updated: Saturday, March 14, 2009 | 5:08 PM NT 
CBC News  





Mike Cunningham said a TSB team hopes to raise the sunken Cougar Helicopters aircraft early next week. (CBC)

The Transportation Safety Board has confirmed the location of an oil industry helicopter that crashed into the ocean southeast of Newfoundland on Thursday, killing 17 of 18 people on board, while authorities identified many of the dead.

"It looks like the fuselage is relatively intact," lead investigator Mike Cunningham told CBC News on Saturday afternoon, after an underwater remote-operated vehicle confirmed the location of a Cougar Helicopters aircraft that went down in the frigid Atlantic waters.

"It is laying on the bottom, on its side. The tail boom of the helicopter is broken off, but it is laying right beside the rest of the fuselage."

The bodies were not, as yet, located, said Cunningham, but families had been notified. The search for the missing turned to a rescue effort as the sun set Friday evening, about 34 hours after the shuttle, carrying oil industry workers, went into the water about 55 kilometres southeast of St. John's.

RCMP, meanwhile, gave the names of 10 of the deceased in Thursday's crash. The other families were "not prepared at this point of time to release the names of their loved ones, and we respect that," said Supt. Reg Reeves told reporters.

Reeves identified the following, all but one from Newfoundland and Labrador, as having died in the helicopter crash.

Peter Breen, 55, St. John's, 
Gary Corbett, 46, Conception Bay South, 
Wade Drake, 42, Fortune, 
Wade Duggan, 32, Witless Bay, 
Colin Henley, 38, St. John's, 
Ken Macrae, 476, Greenwood, N.S., 
Derrick Mullowney, 51, Bay Bulls, 
Burch Nash, 44, Fortune, 
Paul Pike, 49, Spaniard's Bay, 
Allison Maher, 26, Mount Pearl, formerly of Aquaforte. 

Maher's body was pulled from the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, shortly after a frantic search began for survivors. Her funeral will be held Monday.

Only one person, Robert Decker, who works at the White Rose oilfield, survived the crash. He remains in critical but stable condition in hospital in St. John's and is being treated for multiple injuries.

Reeves said most family members are not willing to interviews at this time. "They would like to have some privacy and respect," Reeves told reporters.

'Fairly large anomaly' led to chopper find

Earlier in the day, Cunningham told a media briefing that a TSB sonar scan had found "a fairly large anomaly," which investigators believed was the Cougar Helicopters aircraft that crashed. At that time, authorities were hoping for a positive identification of the aircraft.

Cunningham said the initial sweep showed the ground floor was largely flat and featureless.

Underwater remote-operated vehicles were in the water Saturday afternoon to glean more information about the helicopter, which may still contain the bodies of the missing.

The TSB has assembled a team of 20 people, including five experts from the U.S. who specialize in helicopters, to work on the investigation.

Cunningham said Canadian military officials have volunteered their assistance.

He said the Atlantic Osprey supply ship was also carrying RCMP investigators as well as officials from Cougar Helicopters and Sikorsky, the chopper's manufacturer.

"If everything goes well, if Mother Nature co-operates with us, if nothing goes against us, we're hoping that we may lift that aircraft out of the water on Monday or Tuesday," Cunningham said.

He added that once the fuselage is recovered, the team will "very respectfully" remove the bodies from the fuselage.


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## Occam (15 Mar 2009)

It turns out there is a military connection to those who lost their lives...

Article link

*Newfld. helicopter crash claims B.C. victims*

Updated: Sat Mar. 14 2009 19:21:49

ctvbc.ca

Flowers in a make-shift memorial rustled in the wind outside Cougar Helicopters' base in St. John's, Saturday. Inside staff were reeling over the loss of 17 people onboard a Sikorsky helicopter that crashed into the north Atlantic on Thursday.

"Flowers on the fence, that's very touching when you see passengers that we carry go and do that," said Hank Williams of Cougar Helicopters.

The chopper - owned by a subsidiary of Vancouver Island Helicopters - was en route to two oil platforms when the pilot reported engine problems. He turned around to return to land - but was forced to ditch into the sea.

Across town from the heliport, officials released more names of those killed in the tragedy - including two from B.C.

One of those was 48-year-old Comox native, Tim Lanouette. He was the flight's first officer. A veteran of the Canadian forces, Lanouette previously flew Sea King helicopters with 443 Maritime helicopter squadron based out of Victoria. According to a posting online - Lanouette had four children and had recently moved from the island to Manitoba.

The other crew member has been identified as 46-year old Thomas Anyll of Langley. Neither of their bodies have been recovered. So far, only one body has been found other than the lone survivor.

"We're hoping that we may lift that aircraft out of the water on Monday or Tuesday, at which point very respectfully we'll be removing the bodies from the fuselage," said Doug McEwan of the Transportation Safety Board.

The Transportation Safety Board also announced on Saturday that they've located the wreckage of the helicopter on the ocean floor. This navy supply ship is being brought in to raise the fuselage and hopefully shed some light on what went so horribly wrong.


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## Nfld Sapper (15 Mar 2009)

News Releases

C-NLOPB REACTS TO LOSS OF COUGAR’S FLIGHT 491
For Immediate Release
March 13, 2009

The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB), issued the following statement in relation to the loss of Cougar’s Flight 491 and its fifteen passengers and two crew on route from St. John’s to the Hibernia Platform and the Sea Rose FPSO.

The C-NLOPB Board and staff wish to express deepest sympathies to the families, friends and co-workers of the passengers and crew aboard Cougar’s Flight 491. This tragedy affects all who work in the offshore oil and gas sector and all of us as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Our hearts and prayers go out to them.

The C-NLOPB has been working very closely with responding agencies since the incident occurred and monitoring search and rescue efforts. The ditching of Cougar’s Flight 491 is an air accident and the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are the lead agencies in the investigation of this incident. The C-NLOPB will fully cooperate with these agencies in the investigation. The C-NLOPB will also be an observer during the recovery operation. If there are lessons to be learned from this event for the C-NLOPB, we will ensure those lessons are implemented.

The C-NLOPB has regulatory responsibility for safety on oil and gas facilities operating in the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area. The C-NLOPB verifies that operators have appropriate Safety Plans in place. The guidelines for the development of the Safety Plan are on the Board’s website (http://www.cnlopb.nl.ca/safe_leg.shtml). The basic safety requirements for working on an offshore oil and gas facility include:

Successful completion of a medical exam 
Completion of a basic offshore survival course 
Personnel must use certified personal protective equipment and apparel when working offshore 
Also, personnel are provided with a flight suit which must be worn during transport. 
The C-NLOPB is committed to overseeing offshore oil and gas activities to verify that safety is the first priority in offshore operations. 

  

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sean Kelly APR
Manager, Public Relations
(709) 778-1418
(709) 689-0713 (cell)
skelly@cnlopb.nl.ca


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## SeaKingTacco (15 Mar 2009)

> One of those was 48-year-old Comox native, Tim Lanouette. He was the flight's first officer. A veteran of the Canadian forces, Lanouette previously flew Sea King helicopters with 443 Maritime helicopter squadron based out of Victoria. According to a posting online - Lanouette had four children and had recently moved from the island to Manitoba.



Sad day.  I flew with Tim on 443 Sqn.  He was a gentleman and all-round good guy. Although he had left the military, he will be missed by many of us still serving.


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## Nfld Sapper (16 Mar 2009)

B.C. helicopter pilot remembered for his big personality


By Mary Frances Hill, Vancouver SunMarch 15, 2009 9:01 PM







B.C. helicopter pilot Tim Lanouette.
Photograph by: ., .

VANCOUVER — Tim Lanouette was a fun-loving musician and pilot and a perfectionist who’d been obsessed with flying for most of his adult life, according to friends who worked and played with him in his formative years.

Lanouette, a Comox native and pilot with Cougar Helicopters, was one of two men operating the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter that crashed off the coast of Newfoundland carrying 14 workers to a Hibernia offshore oil platform in the North Atlantic.

The remains of two passengers have been recovered. Robert Decker, the lone survivor, is in critical but stable condition in a Newfoundland hospital. 

Lanouette, 46, and First Officer Thomas Anyll, 48, of Langley, were the sole British Columbians on board the flight. The rest all hailed from Newfoundland.

Cougar Helicopters, a subsidiary of Victoria’s VIH Aviation Group, provides shuttle services for crews flying from St. John’s, NL, to offshore oil platforms.

Lanouette joined Cougar Helicopters after a long career in the Canadian Armed Forces, where he trained and worked as a pilot.

A woman who answered the phone at Anyll’s home refused to talk to The Vancouver Sun.

Benjamin Barby of Owen Sound, Ont., toured with Lanouette in the early 1990s as part of the Vimy Band, a 90-member travelling band from the Canadian Forces base in Kingston, Ont.

Both played the bass trombone, “a big, solid, heavy loud instrument” that was fitting for the young Lanouette, Barby said.

Even as a newcomer to the military, Lanouette dreamed of being in the cockpit, he said.

“Even on the touring band he would be talking about changing professions. He just loved to fly... I know that as both a musician and a pilot he took his work very seriously.”

Lanouette grew up in a small rural area outside Comox. His mother worked as a legal secretary and his family is very close-knit, according to Comox Mayor Paul Ives.

Lanouette, who previously flew Sea King helicopters with 443 Maritime helicopter squadron based out of Victoria, had recently moved to Manitoba.

An avid hockey player and father of four, Lanouette returned to his hometown every two years to fly in Comox’s air show.

“I imagine over the next days or weeks we’ll hear more about Tim and the role he played in this community... We understand the grief [loved ones in Newfoundland] have been going through,” said Ives.

The Vancouver Sun's deputy managing editor Paul Bucci worked with Lanouette when they were both military musicians with the Royal Canadian Regiment Band in CFB Gagetown.

“Tim had a background as a transport driver, and he took moving people around really seriously,” Bucci said. “It was an easy leap in logic to see him become a military pilot.”

Rick Rangno, a professional trumpet player who retired from the Canadian military two years ago, met Lanouette in 1988 in Gagetown.

“When a friend of mine told me about [Lanouette’s death], it was like getting kicked in the stomach,” he said in a telephone interview from his Ottawa home.

“Tim could always find humour in the situation — either the bright side or the fun part of the dark side. He loved music, but when he got accepted into pilot training [in 1992], he was ecstatic.

“He’s the type of person you would run into after a few years of being away, and it would be just like you saw him yesterday.”

mfhill@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun


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## Good2Golf (16 Mar 2009)

RIP to all lost in this tragedy.  RIP Tim.


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## EuroCanuck (16 Mar 2009)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> Lanouette returned to his hometown every two years to fly in Comox’s air show.


...That really gets me thinking, knowing that I might've met the guy or seen him perform in real life..
Maybe you people already in the forces are use to it - but it sure hit me harder reading that sentence than hearing on the news "-- dead in ---- -----", almost everyday.


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## Sub_Guy (16 Mar 2009)

When this happened I mentioned to my wife that while I was at 443 doing OJT, there was a Pilot who left to fly with Cougar Helicopters.  I was saddened to find his name in the paper yesterday, my thoughts are with his family.

RIP


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## Figment (16 Mar 2009)

RIP old friend. I flew with Tim Lanouette while at 423 Sqn. He was one of the most positive people that you'll ever meet. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and many friends. Thank you for your service to Canada.


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## magnumcharger (16 Mar 2009)

I hate to say it....but I now find out that one person on that helicopter was a former Canadian Forces NDT technician, such as I am now.
Ken MacRae was well known and liked in the NDT community.
Like most of us in this trade, we go to where the work is, including off-shore platforms.

My deepest sympathies go out to his wife Tracey at this time.


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## Nfld Sapper (16 Mar 2009)

Bodies of Nine Crash Victims Brought to St. John's
March 16, 2009


Nine bodies recovered from the Cougar helicopter have been transported to St. John's. They were brought to shore early this morning on board the Atlantic Osprey. It was just shortly before 3 o'clock this morning, when three hearses left the Coast Guard base, escorted by the RNC. It was their first of three trips. The recovered bodies were removed from the Atlantic Osprey three at a time, and transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Simon Avis.  RCMP Sergeant  Wayne Newell says the Osprey arrived at the base about 1:15 this morning, and returned to the recovery mission once all of the bodies were transported. Sergeant Newell says at this time, they are unsure of how many bodies may still be inside. The RCMP are expected to have more to say this morning.

Meanwhile the family of the pilot have released his name. 34 year old Captain Matthew William Thomas Davis was from St. John's.

Plans are being made for an ecumenical prayer service for the family and friends of the passengers and crew of the helicopter crash. The service will take place 7pm Wednesday at the Basilica in St. John's. It is open to the public. 

The Mayor of St John's says he is still in disbelief. Dennis O'Keefe says just a few weeks ago he ran into his former student Colin Henley, one of the crash victims. He says Henley was a great young man with a wonderful family who was positive and exuberant .

The Mayor of Fortune Alex Noseworthy says there has been a cloud over the town since Thursday. Two of the victims, Burch Nash and Wade Drake, are from the area. Noseworthy told VOCM Night Line with Ryan Cleary it's a very sad situation.  He says flags around the town are at half mast. Noseworthy says they will make arrangements for services when the family returns from St John's.

Random - Burin - St. George's MP Judy Foote offered her condolences and support to those affected. Foote says it's been a sad few days. Foote says it's been very hard; very hard on the families, and very hard on the communities. She says prayers and thoughts go out to the victims. 

St. John's East MP Jack Harris says as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians we know the dangers that come with working offshore, but it certainly doesn't ease the pain.

The Transportation Safety Board's lead investigator, Mike Cunningham, indicates their probe of the crash continues. Cunningham appears confident they will find out what led to the crash. He admits dealing with such an incident is not easy.


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## STONEY (17 Mar 2009)

Another reason the military will follow the cause of this crash is that this A/C
is a civil version of the long awaited Cyclone.  Is the failed component common to both.


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## Nfld Sapper (17 Mar 2009)

Bodies of All Crash Victims Recovered
March 17, 2009


There's an update coming this afternoon from the Transportation Safety Board on the status of the recovery mission off Newfoundland following the crash of Cougar flight 491. All of the people who were on board have now been accounted for as the Atlantic Osprey brought in the last seven bodies early this morning. Nine came in yesterday morning. One body was recovered from the water on Thursday and the lone survivor , Robert Decker, remains in critical but stable condition at the Health Sciences. The TSB now switches its focus to the recovery of the wreckage lying on the ocean floor 178 meters down. The fuselage is intact but there was considerable break-up on impact with the tail boom having broken away. A couple of the doors have already been recovered. The board has said that it hopes to finish the recovery mission by week's end. Most of the components pulled from the water will be transported to Ottawa. 

Cougar has suspended its use of the Sikorsky helicopter until they learn more about what happened last Thursday. Spokesman Hank Williams says companies around the world are monitoring the situation here.

Funeral arrangements have been finalized for another of the victims of the Cougar helicopter crash. Derrick Mullowney of Bay Bulls was 51. He worked with East Coast Catering. Mr. Mullowney left behind a wife and daughter. He will be resting at Ryan's Funeral Home in Bay Bulls tomorrow and Thursday from  2-9pm. The funeral will take place Friday at 11am at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Bay Bulls. 

A funeral home in Grand Falls - Windsor is offering area residents the opportunity to sign a memorial registry in honour of the 17 victims of the Cougar helicopter crash. The public can sign the registry at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home between 10 and 4 and 7 to 9 tomorrow, online condolences are also being accepted. The registry will then forwarded to the families affected by the tragedy.

The MHA for Ferryland district says the entire region is suffering in the wake of the Cougar Helicopters tragedy. Keith Hutchings joined hundreds at the funeral of 26 year old Allison Maher of Aquaforte. Hutchings says it's a very difficult time for all. 

A teacher is remembering two students lost in the tragedy. Dolores Hynes taught Allison Maher and remembers her as a bright, helpful student, full of life, and always ready to help her fellow students. Hynes also taught 32-year-old Wade Duggan of Witless Bay who died in the crash. 

The head of the Roman Catholic community in this province says support for the families affected by the Cougar Helicopter crash must continue well into the future. Archbishop Martin Currie says communities and congregations across Newfoundland and Labrador should rise to the challenge of continuous support.

The Moderator of the United Church of Canada has written a letter expressing the church's condolences to the families, friends and communities of the victims of the Cougar crash. The Right Reverend David Giuliano writes, " that words alone cannot heal the profound grief you must be feeling. However, it may be some comfort to know that across the country many are holding you in love. Hearts are reaching out to you in this great shock and sadness. Many Canadians are whispering prayers for St. John's, for small communities across Newfoundland, and for the dear souls who have been lost at sea. And on behalf of The United Church of Canada, please accept the deepest sympathies of our members across the land." The letter also notes the church is praying for the recovery of the lone survivor, Robert Decker and acknowledges the families in Nova Scotia and British Columbia that are suffering the loss of their loved ones in the crash.

The Royal Canadian Legion in the province will be paying tribute to the victims of the Cougar crash. Speaking on VOCM Open Line with Randy Simms, Provincial President, Dave Flannigan, says at the Annual Executive Council meeting this weekend it was discovered that several Legion members were connected to some of the crash victims


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## Nfld Sapper (17 Mar 2009)

STONEY said:
			
		

> Another reason the military will follow the cause of this crash is that this A/C
> is a civil version of the long awaited Cyclone.  Is the failed component common to both.



Lets wait until the TSB releases info about what happened.


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## Nfld Sapper (17 Mar 2009)

Now not the time to debate N.L. search and rescue readiness: MacKay
Last Updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 | 1:09 PM NT 
CBC News 





Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Tuesday he would prefer to discuss search and rescue issues after a memorial is held for those killed in the Cougar helicopter crash. (Mike Dembeck/Canadian Press)

Canada's defence minister is setting aside calls, at least for now, for greater search and rescue service in eastern Newfoundland, in the wake of a helicopter crash that killed 17 people last Thursday.

Peter MacKay told reporters in Halifax on Tuesday that it is too early to talk about whether search and rescue services need to be beefed up.

However, St. John's Coun. Tom Hann said the crash of the Cougar Helicopters aircraft proves the need for a search and rescue unit at the St. John's airport.

Last Thursday, there were no Cormorant helicopters in Newfoundland and Labrador to respond to the aircraft that crashed about 55 kilometres southeast of St. John's, leaving one survivor. Robert Decker, an ice spotter on an offshore oil platform, was rescued by another Cougar chopper.

Cormorant helicopters from Newfoundland and Labrador were in Cape Breton that day, on a training exercise. Military officials said it took an extra hour for the Cormorants to arrive on the scene. The nearest Cormorant is normally based in Gander.

Hann said he would like to see recommendations of a royal commission that studied the 1982 sinking of the Ocean Ranger — a rig that toppled in a severe winter storm, killing all 84 aboard — enacted, with greater search and rescue coverage for offshore oil workers.

"I think these people, who are totally professional, need more support. They need more resources," said Hann, who will be raising the issue at Tuesday evening's council meeting.





A St. John's city councillor wants search and rescue capability, including Cormorant helicopters, to be stationed in the city. (CBC) 

"If we had a station in St. John's and probably more resources around our coastline, it would be better for them, and better backup, and so on."

MacKay noted Tuesday that the first assistance was on the scene within 45 minutes.

"There's always contingencies in place and in fact another Cougar aircraft was the first helicopter to arrive," MacKay said.

"All of that, and the forensics, the discussion around response time, I think is more appropriately dealt with at a time after this memorial service and when we can respect the grieving families [and] support them through this period and get all the information readily available, before we start to do a full public discussion on the subject."

An ecumenical service is scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Roman Catholic Basilica of St. John the Baptist, in downtown St. John's. MacKay will be attending the service.

Last week, Premier Danny Williams said while he would welcome additional search and rescue capability, he thought that a faster arrival of Cormorants would not have affected the outcome.


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## Nfld Sapper (17 Mar 2009)

Public events for March 18, 2009
17 March 2009
Ottawa, Ontario


Public events for Prime Minister Stephen Harper for Wednesday, March 18th are:

St. John’s

7:00 p.m. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper will attend an ecumenical prayer service for the family and friends of the passengers of Cougar Flight 491.

Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
St. John’s, Newfoundland

NOTES:


All media inquiries should be directed to the Archdiocese of St. John’s: 709-726-3660 or ldohey@nf.aibn.com


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## The Bread Guy (17 Mar 2009)

A little more from the Canadian Press:


> It's not the right time to debate whether Newfoundland's two Cormorant helicopters should be moved from Gander to the capital city of St. John's, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Tuesday.
> 
> Some Newfoundlanders want the military aircraft transferred permanently to beef up search-and-rescue capabilities on the island's east coast, especially after last week's deadly crash of a privately owned helicopter in the Atlantic.
> 
> ...


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## magnumcharger (19 Mar 2009)

Chopper victim ‘East Coast man at heart’ 
Kings County oil platform analyst among those killed in crash off Nfld.; recovery efforts continue
By IAN FAIRCLOUGH Valley Bureau and The Canadian Press
Wed. Mar 18 - 6:17 AM 
The family of Ken MacRae, the Kings County man killed in last week’s tragic helicopter crash off Newfoundland, says he was a proud father and true family man.

The family released a brief statement Tuesday through 14 Wing Greenwood, where Mr. MacRae was stationed for a time. He lived in Auburn.

Base spokesman Capt. Scott Spurr said family and friends are asking for privacy as they grieve and do not want to be contacted by the media, nor do they want to disclose when Mr. MacRae was based at Greenwood or with what section.

"They would like privacy while they try to deal with what has happened," he said.

The family said Mr. MacRae served for 23 years as an Aero engine technician and a non-destructive testing technician. After he retired, he joined FGG Inspections Inc. and was employed for six years as a senior analyst. He was part of the shutdown team that was sent to conduct regularly scheduled maintenance on the Husky Sea Rose oil platform.

Mr. MacRae was born in Halifax and was "an East Coast man at heart," his family said. He loved the outdoors and spending time with his wife, children, family and friends.

Meanwhile, the painstaking effort to collect the remains of the Sikorsky S92-A helicopter at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean took a major step forward Tuesday with the recovery of the aircraft’s black box, a device expected to unlock the mystery behind the sudden crash.

The chopper’s flight data and cockpit voice recorder, both contained in one case, were retrieved intact from the wreckage by an offshore supply ship and sent to Ottawa for analysis by the Transportation Safety Board’s engineering branch.

"I believe they’re in very good condition," lead investigator Mike Cunningham said.

"They’re pretty important, that’s just because of the amount of information that they contain."

Hours after the Atlantic Osprey vessel brought the final seven bodies of the 17 victims to port, it departed for the crash site and crews shifted their attention to determining what caused Cougar Flight 491 to plunge into the icy seas last week.

But with pieces of the fuselage scattered across the ocean floor, 178 metres below sea level, investigators face an arduous task.

"It’s literally in hundreds of pieces," Mr. Cunningham said.

Two remotely operated vehicles, tethered to a cage, will snare those remnants using mechanized arms and place them in a massive metal basket capable of storing the chopper and its components, he explained.

The various parts of the Sikorsky will be hoisted aboard the Atlantic Osprey and taken to St. John’s, N.L.

"Basically it’s a task of picking these things up one at a time, putting them in the basket and then eventually lifting the basket to surface, emptying it and repeating the process until we have everything we can get," Mr. Cunningham said.

"Just because of the fact that it’s not all in one piece . . . we’re looking at multiple lifts."

The recovery of evidence at the crash site, 65 kilometres southeast of St. John’s, should be complete within a few days, he said.

"The relatively small items that are unimportant . . . depending upon the time we have to work down there, might be left behind," he said.

Seventeen people died after the aircraft, owned by Cougar Helicopters, went down Thursday as it was ferrying workers to two offshore oil platforms.

Robert Decker, the sole survivor, is in a St. John’s hospital recovering from lung injuries and fractures. The RCMP hope to interview him later this week.

Cougar has indefinitely grounded its fleet in St. John’s, which services the province’s offshore oil sector.

Mr. Cunningham spoke with some relatives of the dead Tuesday after their bodies were taken to the province’s chief medical examiner’s office for post-mortems.

They were grateful that crews recovered all of the bodies within days of the crash so they could be given a measure of closure, he said.

A prayer service open to all faiths will be held today in St. John’s at the Roman Catholic Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Premier Danny Williams and Lt.-Gov. John Crosbie are to attend.

( ifairclough@herald.ca)


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## Nfld Sapper (25 Mar 2009)

Provincial government says memorial will be established for helicopter crash victims  
The Canadian Press


The Newfoundland government says a permanent memorial will be created for the 17 people who died in the recent helicopter crash off the province.
Premier Danny Williams made the announcement today in the legislature, but did not offer any details on the location or nature of the memorial.
The Sikorsky S-92A helicopter went down in the Atlantic off St. John’s on March 12 while taking workers out to offshore oil facilities.
One man survived the crash and has been recovering in hospital.
Meanwhile, the Transportation Safety Board will hold a news conference in St. John’s on Thursday to offer more details about the investigation into the crash.


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## Nfld Sapper (26 Mar 2009)

TSB releases more details of crash, investigation  

The Telegram


Officials with the Transportation Safety Board confirmed today that a bolt in the main gearbox failed during flight and resulted in a sudden loss of oil pressure prior to the crash of the Sikorsky S-92 A in the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland March 12.
The crash killed 17 of the 18 people onboard the Cougar helicopter, which was making its way to oil platforms on the Grand Banks.
TSB officials released the finding during a news briefing today at St. John’s International Airport.
“So far we cannot find any other anomaly that would account for that loss of oil pressure. However, there is further analysis and work to be done on how and why that stud broke,” said Mike Cunningham.
It was one of many new details released today as investigators continue their search into the cause of the deadly crash.
Roughly 95 per cent of the wreckage has been recovered from the ocean floor, and the gear box has been sent to Sikorsky headquarters in Connecticut for analysis. 
Officials related a detailed chain events just prior to the crash, and noted the flight data recorder indicated oil pressure in the gear box had dropped to zero. There was also a power interruption prior to the crash which caused the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder to shut off.
The flight crew radioed they were preparing to ditch, and radar indicates the aircraft descended at roughly 1,000 feet per minute. Impact data indicates the helicopter hit the water with an impact 20 times the force of gravity.
TSB officials also corrected earlier information that the chopper had crashed nose-first. It now appears the craft crashed “belly-down,” with the tail hitting first.
Cunningham also explained that 70 per cent of the worldwide fleet of Sikorsky S-92 A helicopters have now had these studs replaced.
He cautioned that the investigation is still in its early stages.


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## PMedMoe (14 May 2009)

Newfoundland company orders S-92 pilots to remain below 7,000 feet
Article Link

An investigation by Globe reporter Peter Cheney finds gearbox oil loss was a factor in at least four emergencies involving the Sikorsky 
S-92 since 2004 

More than two months after a crash that killed 17 people, Sikorsky S-92 helicopters operated by a Newfoundland charter company are set to fly again, but with new altitude restrictions prompted by concerns with the main gearbox, a critical component that can stop the rotor blades. According to a memo distributed to offshore oil workers, S-92s operated by Cougar Helicopters will not be allowed to fly above 7,000 feet, reducing the time required to make an emergency landing in case of gearbox problems.

The altitude limit is the latest development in an investigative saga that has engulfed the Sikorsky S-92 since March 12, when a Cougar S-92 went down off the Newfoundland coast. Gearbox oil loss has emerged as the likely cause. A Globe and Mail investigation has revealed a troubling history of S-92 gearbox leaks, and raised questions about the way the helicopter met an advanced safety standard.

According to records obtained by The Globe, the Newfoundland crash is the fourth known emergency involving lubrication loss in an S-92 gearbox. Helicopter experts consider this record particularly troubling given the design's limited track record - Sikorsky has sold just 100 S-92s since the helicopter first came to the market in 2004. 

More on link


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## Nfld Sapper (16 Jun 2009)

And now Danny Williams wades in on the (apparent) lack of SAR Assets in NL.

Williams makes case to PM for St. John's search base 
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 | 7:15 AM NT CBC News





Premier Danny Williams has asked Prime Minister Stephen Harper to consider staffing a full-time search and rescue squadron in St. John's. (CBC)

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams has added his name to the list of people seeking a full-time search and rescue squadron to serve the offshore oil industry.

A letter that Williams wrote to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, asking that the federal government consider an around-the-clock search and rescue presence on the island's east coast, was tabled Monday evening at the regular meeting of St. John's city council.

Council has been advocating for a full-time squadron since a Cougar Helicopters aircraft crashed in March, killing 17 people while it was performing a routine mission to carry workers to two offshore oil platforms.

In his letter, Williams acknowledges the courage and bravery that a Cougar rescue crew displayed after the crash.

Williams said the fact that a rescue squadron based in Gander had been out of the province at the time of the crash may have negatively affected the rescue effort. The crew was on a training exercise in Cape Breton, which added more than an hour to the response time.

The Cougar crew hoisted the sole survivor of the crash to safety before a military Cormorant helicopter was able to arrive on the scene.

Williams wrote that even if the 103 Squadron from Gander had been available, it is located hundreds of miles from the east coast of Newfoundland and even further from the platforms working in the offshore oil industry.

Williams noted that Justice Alec Hickman, who wrote a royal commission report into the 1982 sinking of the oil rig Ocean Ranger, had recommended that a full-time search and rescue helicopter be stationed in St. John's.

Williams told Harper that governments need to do everything in their power to ensure offshore workers and all others at sea have access to all available resources in the event of an offshore accident.

Williams said a search and rescue crew in St. John's, in addition to the one in Gander, is needed for the growing offshore oil and gas industry.

To date, the federal government has said that the current search and rescue arrangements in Newfoundland and Labrador are sufficient.


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## Bruce Monkhouse (16 Jun 2009)

Gee Dany, did you forget about "ABC" already?

Karma's a bitch.......


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## Nfld Sapper (17 Jun 2009)

FAA orders flight manual change after crash off Newfoundland
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 | 7:04 AM NT The Canadian Press 

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has issued a directive to change the rotorcraft flight manual for the Sikorsky 92-A chopper, the same model involved in a deadly crash off Newfoundland earlier this year.

The American regulator says the change to the manual is required because some normal and emergency procedures involving the main gearbox may be unclear following the March 12 crash that killed 17 people.

The regulator says changes to the manual procedures are intended to clarify those procedures to give crew members the best available information in the event of any main gearbox failure.

Shortly after the crash, the regulator issued an emergency directive stating that the titanium mounting studs on the main gearbox filter assembly must be replaced with steel ones before the Sikorsky 92-As could fly again.

A month ago, those choppers resumed carrying workers to Newfoundland's offshore oil platforms.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash 

LINK: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/06/17/faa-cp-sikorsky-cougar-617.html


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## Nfld Sapper (18 Jun 2009)

TSB releases update on Cougar crash  
The Telegram


The Transportation Safety Board says the floats on Cougar Helicopters’ Flight 491 did not deploy when the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean March 12.
“The Sikorsky S-92A flotation system activation switch was found in the armed position after recovery, said a TSB release issued Thursday morning.
“The helicopter experienced significant forces during the impact with the water, and examination of the inflation bottles indicates that they had not released their compressed gas to inflate the flotation collars.”
The TSB investigation into factor contributing to the crash continues.
The Sikorsky S-92A helicopter crashed into the ocean off Newfoundland killing 17 of the 18 people on board as they headed to offshore oil platforms on the Grand Banks.
The board also says the helicopter’s tail rotor drive gears had also stopped working prior to the crash.
“The examination of the MGB (main gearbox) also revealed that the tail rotor drive gears had been severely damaged, resulting in a loss of drive, causing it to stop producing thrust,” said the TSB release.
“Further examination is being carried out by the TSB engineering laboratory to determine the cause and sequence of this loss of tail rotor drive.”


Update: Faulty tail rotor, inflation system in deadly chopper crash, probe finds  
BY TARA BRAUTIGAM 
The Canadian Press

A helicopter that crashed off Newfoundland’s east coast earlier this year, killing 17 people, lost control because of a faulty tail rotor and its inflation collar system did not work when it slammed into the Atlantic Ocean, federal investigators said Thursday.
The federal Transportation Safety Board released an update into its probe in the deadly March 12 crash and found that while the main rotor blades continued to rotate when the chopper crashed, the tail rotor drive gears were severely damaged.
The pilots of the Sikorsky S-92A, which was ferrying workers to offshore oil platforms, lost steering control in the flight’s final moments because of the tail rotor failure, lead Transportation Safety Board investigator Mike Cunningham said in an interview.
“Without that tail rotor drive, your directional control ability is much more difficult,” Cunningham said.
“In other words, the nose is going up, then the nose is going down and it’s rolling to the left and it’s rolling to the right.”
In addition to steering control, the tail rotor plays a supplementary role in keeping the helicopter in the air, Cunningham said.
Investigators also found that when Cougar Flight 491 crashed, its inflation collar system did not work as it was supposed to.
“The helicopter experienced significant forces during the impact with the water, and examination of the inflation bottles indicates that they had not released their compressed gas to inflate the flotation collars,” the agency said in its update.
“The reason the collars failed to inflate is still under investigation.”
The flotation collars are intended to keep the helicopter afloat in the event of a landing on water.
Investigators also found that the titanium oil filter attachment studs “revealed fatigue cracking in the studs as well as evidence of thread damage.”
The Transportation Safety Board said investigators were still trying to determine the origin of the fatigue cracks in the studs. It has previously said that the titanium mounting studs that attach an oil filter bowl assembly to the main gearbox broke during the flight.
The studs have since been replaced with steel under a directive issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
The helicopter, piloted by two crew members, crashed about 65 kilometres southeast of St. John’s as it was carrying workers to two offshore oil platforms.
One man, Robert Decker, survived the crash.


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## Nfld Sapper (19 Jun 2009)

Tail rotor failure 
Transportation Cougar pilot attempting controlled landing when tail rotor lost power
MOIRA BAIRD 
The Canadian Press


Cougar Helicopters Flight 491 lost power in its tail rotor drive - but not its main rotor - about a minute before it crashed into the ocean off Newfoundland on March 12 killing 17 of the 18 people on board.

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) says the pilots were making a controlled descent to land in the water. The helicopter was about 500 feet above sea level when its tail rotor failed. Three seconds later, the pilot switched off the engines to attempt an "engines-off landing," a procedure also known as an autorotative landing.

"What it's showing us is that there was control remaining and the guys were doing their best to get the helicopter down on the surface," said Mike Cunningham, TSB investigator-in-charge, in an interview Thursday.

On Wednesday, the TSB updated the families of the crash victims on the progress of its investigation.

Without a working tail rotor, Cunningham says controlling the direction of a helicopter is difficult. The tail rotor also helps the helicopter stay in the air.

"It is one of the more serious emergencies that a helicopter pilot can experience.

"It will rock around and the nose will go up and down, and the pilot is, at that point, just attempting to get the thing down on the ground or the surface of the water, as in this case, as quick as he can."

The flight data recorder stopped working after 800 feet, but investigators were able to piece together information from the aircraft's onboard computer.

They determined the helicopter struck the water at a "moderate" speed.

"Initially, there were some reports that the aircraft had struck the water at a high speed," said Cunningham. "Now, with this data that we have available to us, we know that the forward speed had been slowed down."

He couldn't pinpoint the exact speed, though, saying TSB engineers are continuing their analysis of the data.

The pilot may have also flared the helicopter - a manoeuvre used to slow the rate of descent without the use of power. The pitch of the helicopter is adjusted nose high, which increases rotor revolutions per minute and decreases forward airspeed.

Despite this, the helicopter hit the water with a significant impact - nose upward and banking slightly to the right.

All three of its flotation devices failed as the helicopter hit the three-metre seas.

"The damage that was done to this aircraft during the impact was so significant that ... it might be unreasonable to expect that this (flotation) system could have even operated," said Cunningham. "And would it have made any difference, if it did, is pretty hard to say."

The TSB says the cylinders didn't release compressed gas to inflate the collars that are supposed to keep the helicopter afloat.

"One of the flotation bags was ripped right out of the housing," said Cunningham.

The failure of the flotation collars is in still under investigation.

The TSB also says a metallurgical examination of the titanium mounting studs revealed fatigue cracking and thread damage.

The board is still trying to determine the origin of the fatigue cracks.

During its examination of the helicopter wreckage in March, the board discovered two of the three mounting studs that attach the oil filter assembly to the main gearbox had broken in flight.

A U.S. Federal Aviation Authority directive then ordered the titanium mounting studs be replaced with steel studs. It said "the broken studs resulted in rapid loss of oil."

Without oil in the main gearbox, which powers both the main rotor and the tail rotor, there is no lubrication of rotor gear teeth.

That directive grounded the worldwide fleet of Sikorsky S-92As, including Cougar Helicopter aircraft, until the studs were replaced.

Sheldon Peddle, the president of a union that represents 700 workers on the Hibernia and Terra Nova oil platforms, remains wary of the steel studs.

"I'm not totally convinced that these steel studs are going to be any better in the long run," he said.

mbaird@thetelegram.com


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