THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan. ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Families of passengers killed in a ”senseless” helicopter crash off Newfoundland want Ottawa to explain why it certified a Sikorsky aircraft that had failed months before their loved ones died.A letter signed by families of the 15 passengers, as well as sole survivor Robert Decker, urges Transport Minister Chuck Strahl to act.”The cold, harsh reality is that this accident never would have happened had Transport Canada enforced the certification requirements … as is required by law,” asserts the letter from Vancouver law firm Camp Fiorante Matthews.Dated Feb. 18, it asks Strahl ”to take all necessary measures” to ensure Transport Canada prevents ”senseless tragedy, such as this, from occurring again.”Strahl was not immediately available to comment. A cameraman records a display at a Transportation Safety Board of Canada news conference releasing the final report into the fatal 2009 crash of Cougar Flight 91, in St. John’s, N.L. March 26, 2009. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 12, at 7:00 p.m. at Corpus Christi Church on Waterford Bridge Road in St. John’s. Published on Feb 24, 2011 3:10pm. Four Americans dead after helicopter crash in KenyaFour Americans dead after helicopter crash in KenyaCanada reports 195 new coronavirus cases, 5 more deathsConservatives seek investigation into Canada’s outsourced $84M rent subsidy program‘Laughable’: New York’s Gov. Cuomo calls out Trump’s benefits executive orders‘Everybody is impacted’: Community grieves young couple killed in Virden, Man., tornadoTemperature checks and ‘deep cleaning’ aren’t good at stopping coronavirus. Issued March 12, 2020 From Noia On March 12, 2009, Flight 491 crashed in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador, resulting in the loss of 17 of the 18 people onboard. Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Families of Cougar Flight 491 crash victims want action from Ottawa. on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011.
It crashed about 55 kilometres east of St. John’s.The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted Sikorsky the ”30-minute” run-dry certification in 2004, basing it on an assumption that the chances of an oil leak were ”extremely remote,” say documents obtained from the agency through freedom of information legislation. On the 10th anniversary of Flight 491, Noia remembers the victims of the tragic event. “March 12 marks a day of tragedy and sorrow in Newfoundland and Labrador. 12 after reporting mechanical problems. On March 12, 2009, Flight 491 was flying to the White Rose and the Hibernia fields when it crashed offshore. The memory Cougar Flight 491 was ferrying offshore oil workers between St. John's, N.L., and two offshore rigs when it crashed on Mar.
“Flight 491 has had a profound affect upon our province and offshore industry.
We need to be ever vigilant about that.”The inquiry into helicopter safety, led by retired judge Richard Wells, resulted in a number of recommendations to improve safety in Newfoundland’s offshore industries – where Wells wrote conditions are “probably the harshest in the offshore world.”The recommendations have yielded significant changes and greater emphasis on helicopter safety, and information sharing between offshore industries.But some of Wells’ recommendations still have not been met – most glaringly, establishing an independent safety regulator for the province’s offshore industry, as those in Norway, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have done.Lana Payne, Atlantic regional director for Unifor which represents about 700 offshore oil workers on the Hibernia and Terra Nova rigs, said the fight for safety is more important than ever as the province plans expand the industry into deeper, farther and harsher waters.Payne says other close calls show how safety in the industry is sometimes considered after profit.In 2017, the SeaRose was not disconnected as a large iceberg approached and nearly hit the vessel with 84 people and 340,000 barrels of crude oil on board.An investigation into the incident by the offshore board found the Husky Energy did not follow its ice management plan during the incident.Another investigation is ongoing into a November 2018 oil spill of 250,000 litres into the ocean – considered the largest in history of the province’s offshore industry – when the Husky restarted production on the SeaRose platform during a fierce storm.Payne says while the culture of talking about safety in the offshore industries has changed, there is still “chill” that prevents workers from bring their concerns forward, showing a culture shift is still needed.As production moves farther afield, Payne stressed that safety should be considered before, rather than after another tragedy occurs.“Working people can no longer be giving their lives in order to make workplaces safer,” she said.Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday.Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday.
Of the 18 passengers on board the helicopter, 17 were lost. The agency defines extremely remote as only once in every 10 million flight hours.The incident in Australia should have told Transport Canada that assumptions used by the FAA to certify the aircraft were ”out the window,” Chynn said. Twelve of them are profiled in the book through extensive interviews with the people closest to the tragedy and its fallout. Cougar 91 (491) is a regular 90-minute, 315 km shuttle flight from St. John's International Airport, usually servicing the SeaRose FPSO.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly. John’s Mayor Danny Breen lost his brother Peter in the crash, and says the event and the awful months that followed feel both far away and immediate.Breen said people still approach him to offer condolences and talk about how much they enjoyed getting to know Peter.
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