S92, vicinity Maersk Invincible Platform North Sea, 2020

S92, vicinity Maersk Invincible Platform North Sea, 2020

Summary

On 24 February 2020, a Sikorsky S92 helicopter crew departing at night from an oil rig in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea in adverse weather temporarily lost pitch control after both pilots became spatially disorientated prior to reaching minimum speed for autopilot engagement. Recovery was successful and the remainder of the flight was uneventful. But the Investigation concluded that operator procedures were insufficiently robust, and that helicopters engaged in offshore operations could be equipped with low-speed flight modes to mitigate consequences of pilot spatial disorientation during low-level manoeuvring.

Description

On 24 February 2020, a Sikorsky S92 (LN-ONT) operated by Bristow Norway on a North Sea offshore passenger transport flight from the Maersk Invincible Platform to Stavanger had just become airborne in night instrument conditions (IMC) in a strong gusting surface wind. Inappropriate control inputs resulted in a rearwards descending flight path past the side of the platform and below the level of the helideck. Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) alerts were activated as control was regained after a 40-second period out of control. The flight thereafter was without further event. There was no damage to the helicopter or injury to its 11 occupants.

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