Rescue helicopter on exercise crashed outside Sotra

On Wednesday evening, a helicopter on a training trip crashed into the sea west of Sotra in Vestland. Six people were on board the helicopter. One woman in her 60s has been confirmed dead. One man is seriously injured, but no longer critically injured. Two men are slightly injured. Two men have been discharged from hospital. All six were sent to Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen after they were lifted from the sea. – This is a difficult day for everyone who works on the Norwegian continental shelf, said CEO of Equinor, Anders Opedal on Thursday. The job as nurse Reidun Hestetun was offered at Equinor. She worked there as a nurse. – The deceased was a nurse who has been with us for several decades. We have lost a very respected and dear colleague who was incredibly dedicated in his work to ensure the safety of others, said one person, Opedal, outside the relatives’ center on Thursday. Anders Opedal is CEO of Equinor. On Thursday, he spent an hour and a half at the relatives’ center at Scanic Kokstad, together with the relatives. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news Hestetun was 61 years old. She originally came from Årdal in Indre Parish, but she now lived in Bergen municipality. – It was a terrible news to hear about the accident in itself, and now I have also been told that the deceased person is originally from Årdal and has family here. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the relatives and bereaved, says mayor of Årdal municipality, Christian Sønstlien. The municipality has been in contact with the relatives and is providing the assistance they want and need. – This is the worst imaginable message to receive as mayor. Rescuer among the injured A rescuer in his 50s is one of the injured. He is employed by the company Bristow and has worked as a lifeguard for most of his life. His wife was at home when she heard about the accident. She immediately called a colleague who confirmed that her husband was on board the helicopter. Two hours later she received a phone call from the hospital confirming that he was alive. – I have faith that this will go well, she says to Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad. It was this helicopter that steered west of Sotra on Wednesday evening. Photographed here over Flesland in January. Photo: Leon Andersen / Private Have interviewed some of the injured The five injured men are all employees of the company Bristow. Two of them are pilots. – Grief affects us all, says director of Bristow Norway Heidi Wulff Heimark to NTB. Heimark confirms that the five were taken into care at Haukeland Hospital on Thursday. On Friday, two of them were printed. When the accident happened, the helicopter was at work for Equinor. – This is a deeply tragic incident. Today is a hard day for many. Our thoughts go out to the families, loved ones and others who have been affected, says CEO Opedal. When the emergency services were notified, the level of preparedness in Haukeland was set to yellow. They confirmed on Wednesday morning that they were back in normal operation. – The preparedness level for Haukeland is again in normal operation. The injured receive good and adequate treatment, says communications manager at Haukeland, Erik Vigander. The police confirmed at 01 o’clock on the night of Wednesday that they had made an attempt to question the injured. On Thursday morning, they had still not been questioned, due to their state of health. – I have questioned some of them. More than that I do not wish to comment, says police attorney Trygve Ritland on Friday. The police have previously described the accident as a great stress for those on board. All six were wearing survival suits when the accident happened. Timeline: The helicopter crash west of Sotra This is what happened with the helicopter that crashed west of Sotra in Vestland. The newest updates are at the top of the timeline. Several of the times are taken from the Norwegian Central Rescue Service. The map shows when the helicopter flew before it crashed. The helicopter took off at Bergen airport, Flesland. Furthermore, the helicopter flew west and up the Hjeltfjord before it flew south and crashed west of Sotra. Below the map is the timeline with the latest news about the helicopter crash. Equinor confirms that they will resume helicopter flights on the Norwegian continental shelf on Friday. There is a delay in flights until 12 o’clock on Friday. This is stated in messages from Equinor and ConocoPhillips on the Heliport website. Through agreements with the helicopter manufacturers Bell and Leonardo, Equinor secures 15 new helicopters for passenger traffic on the Norwegian continental shelf. The helicopters are of the Bell 525 and AW189 types. Photo: Shutterstock editorial Police attorney Trygve Ritland in the West police district confirms to TV 2 that wreckage from the helicopter has been found. A rotor blade and a door from the helicopter. The Coast Guard no longer has a request for assistance from the police, and is therefore no longer in action in the search for wreckage from the helicopter that crashed outside Sotra on Wednesday evening. Photo: Coast Guard / NTB The Coast Guard ship that contributed to the search for wreckage parts is now on its way to Haakonsvern outside Bergen with parts they have found in the sea. It is Chief of Staff Gustav Landro in the West Police District who tells this to TV 2. The Coast Guard is not quite sure what kind of parts they have with them, but they take it ashore. Here the parts will be handed over to the police. According to VG, the police have questioned two of those who were on board the helicopter. – We have carried out two interviews and are planning more tomorrow, says chief of staff Gustav Landro in the West police district to VG. Equinor is suspending all helicopter flights until Friday at 10 a.m. after the accident outside Bergen. Information director Sissel Rinde tells NTB. Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) sends his thoughts to those affected after the helicopter accident outside Bergen. At the same time, he is asking for a thorough investigation of the accident. The police say they believe that the trip recorder, also called “the black box”, on the helicopter will be found, but that the job is challenging due to high waves and strong winds. The six people who was on board the helicopter was wearing a survival suit, say the police. The CEO of Equinor states that the deceased woman was a nurse at work to look after others. All helicopter flights to and from the heliport are canceled until 6 p.m. ConocoPhillips flights are canceled until further notice. There are also the flights for Aker BP. Vest police district states that it was a woman in her 60s, seen in Equinor, who died in the accident. The other five in the helicopter were employed in Bristow. The head of the Norwegian Aviation Accident Investigation Board says that they believe the wreck lies at a depth of 300 metres. Haukeland University Hospital informs X that one person is critically injured, one seriously injured and three lightly injured. The National Accident Investigation Board for Aviation starts work after the helicopter accident. The aim is to find the main part of the wreckage and then raise it from there. Photo: The rescue company The police confirmed on Thursday morning that a search was carried out throughout the night for the helicopter that crashed. Photo: Coast Guard / NTB The police confirm that one person has died. Another is slightly injured, while the remaining four have varying degrees of damage. The police set up a reception for relatives. The lifeboat has started to find wreckage. They are looking for more parts. The rescue operation is over. Haukeland University Hospital confirms that they have received six people. The condition is unclear. Photo: Kjell Jøran Hansen / news news can confirm that the Accident Investigation Board is in the process of staffing up. The rescue helicopter Florø confirms the discovery of the last person. Five minutes later they confirm that they have a person on board and are traveling towards Haukeland. At the present time, it may look like 25 minutes have passed since the Sola helicopter left until the last person is on board the Sola rescue helicopter. The rescue helicopter, with the first five people who were picked up from the sea, lands at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen. The police confirm that there has been an aviation accident in the sea west of Sotra in Vestland. The rescue helicopter Sola reports that they are on their way to Haukeland hospital with five people on board. The reason they have to go towards Haukeland is that they no longer have fuel to stay in the area. HRS knows that they already have rescue helicopter Florø on its way to the search area. There is also an air ambulance in the area that indicates the location of the last one. The rescue helicopter Sola reports that they cannot see the helicopter itself that has crashed. Øygarden municipality receives notification of the helicopter crash. They saw emergency staff. Persons are observed in the sea and hoisting starts. The persons must have a doctor in the sea for 45-50 minutes. The Sola rescue helicopter observes people in the sea and starts the process of hoisting them up. The police receive a report of a helicopter being flown west of Sotra. The main rescue center is informed that there are six people on board. The rescue helicopter Sola, which is already in the air for training, is sent in the direction of the area indicated by the emergency signal. HRS out alerts the rescue helicopter in Florø. They also ask Kystradio to send a mayday relay to vessels in the area. KV Sortland confirms that they set course for the area. It is agreed that a pilot helicopter from Flesland can go towards the area. The ambulance boat Austevolljenta is also asked to go towards the area. At 20.03 the rescue helicopter Sola reports that they are approximately 15 minutes from the position. HRS asks Kystradio to call out lifeboats from the Rescue Association. We are talking about Bjarne Kyrkjebø and Kristian Gerhard Jensen II. HRS can confirm that it is one of the rescue helicopters from Bristow, and that they have been out on a training trip. The main rescue center asks the air traffic controller in Avinor to check if they can make contact with the helicopter. Three minutes later they receive feedback that they cannot make contact over the radio. The helicopter hits the water and an emergency direction finder is activated. The main rescue center receives a message that an emergency beacon has been triggered and the rescue leaders on duty start to check more closely what kind of machine it is that is sending the signal and try to make contact. HRS is informed that a personal emergency beacon, of the type worn by helicopter crew in a rescue helicopter, has been triggered. The position of this is in the same area as the emergency bearing transmitter of the helicopter. Avinor, ACC and the tower on Flesland are contacted. The helicopter probably loses radar contact, according to Aircraftregister.net. The helicopter is completing an exercise with a ship from Wilson Shipping on behalf of Equinor. The helicopter flies west. The helicopter takes off from Bergen airport, Flesland. Show more – It must be allowed to be worried Tom Georg Indrevik is the mayor of Øygarden municipality, where the helicopter crashed. – Remember that everyone out here, and along large parts of the coast of Norway, knows someone or is related to someone who actually works in the oil and gas industry. It is clear that when incidents like yesterday happen, there is an extra burden every time they have to travel offshore. Tom Georg Indrevik is the mayor of Øygarden municipality, where the helicopter crashed. Photo: Tony Roald Ågotnes / news It is not the first time there has been a helicopter accident in the municipality. In 2016, 13 people died when a helicopter crashed near Turøy. The municipality is one of many Norwegian coastal municipalities where the oil and gas industry is a large and important workplace. – I hope, as I have said in other contexts today as well, that people stand up for each other, and that it must be allowed to be worried and even actually a little scared for a while now.



ttn-69