Make flights to oil platforms safer, crash victim's brother says

An offshore oil worker whose brother was among the 17 people killed in a March 12 helicopter crash off Newfoundland says he wants his union to OK the safety of the chopper fleet before he takes another flight.

A committee made up of representatives from offshore oil companies is reviewing when the Sikorsky S-92A helicopters should resume trips.

Greg Duggan, a drilling platform worker whose younger brother Wade Duggan, 32, was among those killed, said the committee should hear from the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union and offshore workers before making any decisions.

"I'd like the union to say 'yes,' too. It [the committee] is not good enough for me," said Duggan, 37, of St. John's.

Duggan, who has worked as a derrickman in the industry for almost 12 years, described his younger brother as a towering six-foot-seven "big boy." He was a journeyman millwright who worked less often on the platforms.

Wade Duggan's last words to his older brother the day before he left was "see you next week," as he expected to be working with Greg on the Sea Rose platform.

Last week, the Transportation Safety Board announced that titanium mounting studs that attach an oil filter bowl assembly to the main gearbox broke during the flight. The board says the pilots of the Cougar Helicopters Flight 491 had indicated there was a problem with the main gearbox oil pressure before the crash.

The board said it remains unclear precisely what caused the crash, but less than 10 minutes after the oil pressure loss, the transport chopper slammed at high speed into the Atlantic.

The Federal Aviation Administration in the United States issued a directive ordering the titanium studs be replaced by steel ones before the S-92As can resume flying based on the TSB's findings.

The lone survivor of the crash, passenger Robert Decker, returned home from hospital on Tuesday.

Duggan said he'd like more information before he climbs aboard one of the remaining Sikorsky S-92As that Cougar flies to the Grand Banks.

"I need to know that everything is safe. ... It's only me and my brother, and I work offshore too," he said. "My parents, how are they going to feel when I get on the chopper again?"

He said he wonders why a service bulletin issued by Sikorsky in January allowed operators up to 1,250 hours or one year to replace the titanium studs with steel studs.

Cougar Helicopters has said they were aware of the bulletin and "the helicopter on Flight 491 had flown 177 hours" since they received it.

The bulletin was prompted by a July 2008 incident in Australia where, according to an Australian Civilian Aviation Safety Authority report, two titanium studs "sheared ... allowing oil leakage" that led to an emergency landing.

A spokesman for Sikorsky was unavailable for comment.

In a video announcement on the Cougar website Tuesday, general manager Rick Burt said Cougar has replaced the titanium studs.

"We have complied with all alert service bulletins related to the S-92A, we have completed required maintenance and ground tests, and have conducted all the required maintenance flight tests," he said.

The company was unavailable for further comment.

Aviation safety review team assembled

A memo circulated by Hibernia president Paul Sacuta last week says the offshore industry has assembled an aviation safety review team, consisting of national and international experts who will provide an independent assessment on the readiness of Cougar helicopters to resume transportation services to the Grand Banks.

Petro-Canada, Husky Energy and the Hibernia consortium operate the platforms.

The memo says a "steering committee" will make the final decision and anticipated "it will be two to three weeks or longer before resumption of helicopter operations." Graham White, a spokesman for Husky, said the company had "established a process to satisfy itself" about the resumption of helicopter flights to its facility.

"The safety of our employees and contractors is No. 1," he said in an email.

"The process also includes working with the other East Coast operators, aviation experts, authorities, safety experts and others to ascertain the appropriate due diligence to review startup," White said.

Sheldon Peddle, the president of Local 2121 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, said he wants a seat on the committee looking at the resumption of flights.

Peddle said he's looking for possible root causes for the bolts breaking, and he would also like to know why steel bolts are better.

The three companies involved in Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore wouldn't comment on whether the union will have a say in resuming the flights.

Margot Bruce-O'Connell, a spokeswoman for ExxonMobil, said she couldn't discuss when the flights might resume.

"We don't think it's appropriate to speculate on a date," she said.