Fotnote: Accident Investigation Board Norway (2003). The helicopter protection zone (HPZ) around the platform had a radius of five nautical miles and a ceiling of 2 000 feet. It passed Draugen about two nautical miles away at a height of 200 feet. This proved to be an unreported Sea Hawk helicopter. The machine’s anticollision alarm activated, and indicated that an aircraft was in front and 152 metres lower. Immediately afterwards, the helicopter pilot was advised to return to Draugen because of the collision risk posed by an unknown aircraft in the clouds. The vessel manager was notified that two Norwegian F-16 fighters were to intercept two Russian aircraft. Three days later, on 11 March, a Super Puma from Helikopter Service took off from Draugen en route to Kristiansund. Immediately afterwards, they saw one pass right beneath them – on exactly the same course, but 396 metres lower. The helicopter crew was warned by the civil air traffic control centre in Trondheim that two fighters were approaching. Ī second incident occurred only 11 minutes later, when the same two fighters came close to another Super Puma from Helikopter Service en route from Njord field to Kristiansund. Fotnote: Accident Investigation Board Norway (2003). This prompted the SHT to comment:Īll experience shows that, when safety barriers depend on procedures and communication between many players, often under hectic and fairly complicated conditions, misunderstandings are very likely to arise or other human errors to occur. The Italian pilots had lacked an overview at all times of their position in relation to offshore platforms and civil helicopters. Although the exercise directive and procedures had been both extensive and detailed, it transpired that abiding by the complex regulations was not easy in a hectic exercise. The latter concluded that a genuine collision risk had existed. This incident occurred during the 2002 Strong Resolve exercise staged every four years by Nato, and was investigated by the Accident Investigation Board Norway (SHT). One of them was sighted just prior to crossing immediately below us. We were warned by TRH ATC about approaching fighters. In his report, the helicopter pilot reported: This jet was travelling at a speed of 780 kilometres per hour. One crossed 457 metres below the Super Puma and just 50 metres to its rear. The military air controllers had failed to tell the fighters that the helicopter was in their way. One of them were sighted just prior to crossing just below us.” «We were warned by TRH ATC about approaching fighters. One involved two Italian Air Force fighters and a helicopter from CHC Helikopter Service. Draugen is a first-person psychological mystery set in 1920s Norway. Several critical conditions occurred during a Nato exercise in March 2002.
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