“The S-92A would still crash in 11 minutes.”

After almost two years, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released a comprehensive review of the Cougar Helicopters crash of a Sikorsky S-92A off Newfoundland in March 2009 which killed 17 people.

And after two years, dozens of changes in its oil filter housing, oil filter studs, transmission mounts, a slew of Emergency Airworthiness Directives, denials and allegations, lawsuits, etc. The TSB in its AVIATION INVESTIGATION REPORT A09A0016 and at its February 9, 2011 press conference says it all:

“All S-92A helicopters should be able to ‘run dry’ for at least 30 minutes. That’s key,”

– Wendy Tadros, Transportation Safety Board of Canada Chair

“The Sikorsky S92A came to be certified without a 30-minute run-dry time. The studs have changed, but the gearbox has not changed and in the event of catastrophic oil loss, the S92A would still crash in 11 minutes.”

– Mike Clitsome, Transportation Safety Board spokesman

“Sikorsky never publicly announced that its original marketing information about the MGB’s run dry performance was inaccurate.”

– TSB accident investigation report

The Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Canada and the European Aviation Safety Agency remove the “extremely remote” provision from the rule requiring 30 minutes of safe operation following the loss of main gearbox lubricant for all newly constructed Category A transport helicopters and, after a phase-in period, for all existing ones.

– TSB recommendation Page 147

Transportation Safety Board Press Release – http://tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/communiques/aviation/2011/comm_a09a0016.asp

The full TSB accident report is here http://tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2009/A09A0016/A09A0016.asp

PDF of the report

Transcript of the TSB press conference http://tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/discours-speeches/2011/20110209.asp

Did regulators ignore warning signs before S-92 crash which killed 17?

In advance of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s much anticipated report on the crash of a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter owned by Cougar Helicopters which crashed in March 2009 killing 17 offshore oil workers and crew, a veteran investigator wonders why the FAA and TSB ignored his warnings.

How much was known and how much more could have been done to prevent the crash?

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110206/nl-fatal-sikorsky-crash-report-110206/

Alleged dirty dealing costs Sikorsky and partners a $11 billion-plus search and rescue deal in the UK

UK government claims:

• Plan to use S-92 helicopters wiped out; criminal probe underway;
• Insider passed competitive info to Sikorsky partner and bid lead Canadian Helicopters;
• UK Military police now investigating
• UK government cancels bidding – competition likely to start again

Here’s what the UK Government is saying:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20110208

Wall Street Journal report here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704364004576131750402089630.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Financial Times report here:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9ff80082-32fd-11e0-9a61-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1DQpZJJ51

Turkey has no problem hitting Sikorsky in the pocketbook for late delivery. Why is Canada so shy?

It looks like Canada isn’t the only country where Sikorsky has missed its deadline. Turkey has just demanded an extra helicopter as a penalty for missing its delivery deadlines. In Turkey’s case, at least some of the helicopters ordered in 2005 have arrived. In Canada, we’ve only seen one prototype of our Cyclone. We’ve already delayed penalizing Sikorsky once. The most Canada is going to be able to penalize Sikorsky is about $5.4 million according to government statements and they’ll make a decision on those penalties in February. Looks like Turkey’s getting the better deal. Here’s the full story:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/index.php?aType=haber&ArticleID=68773

Has the Canadian Government Finally Lost Patience with Sikorsky?

Millions of Dollars in Fines Pending for delay-plagued MH-92 Cyclone Helicopters: Report

Canadian Press is reporting that Sikorsky could be in line for more than $5 million in penalties from the Canadian Government because it missed another deadline to deliver the first MH-92/CH-148 Cyclone Maritime Patrol Helicopter, based on the troubled S-92 helicopter.

Not only has the federal government said it will refuse to accept delivery of a helicopter without the required 30-minute run-dry capability (no word from Sikorsky on how that’s going) but according to Canadian Press, “Sikorsky’s request for Ottawa to excuse the latest delay for delivery of the Cyclones has been formally refused.”

HALIFAX – A federal decision on whether the U.S-based manufacturer of Canada’s new fleet of navy helicopters will pay millions of dollars in fines for late delivery will be made next month.

A spokeswoman for Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose says Sikorsky’s request for Ottawa to excuse the latest delay for delivery of the Cyclones has been formally refused.

But the company has appealed the refusal and a senior civil servant will make the final call on whether it must pay $45,000 per day for up to 120 days of delay.

Sikorsky told the federal government on Nov. 22 that it wouldn’t meet its Nov. 30 deadline to begin delivering the early version of the fleet of maritime helicopters because of an issue “outside of its control.”

Sikorsky did not elaborate at the time.

Rebecca Thompson, Ambrose’s spokeswoman, says the director general of the Public Works and Government Services Department will decide on Sikorsky’s appeal in February.

(The Canadian Press)

Did Prince William shoot down Brit plans to use S92s for search and rescue?

Prince William lobbied PM to save RAF search-and-rescue

The Prince is an RAF search-and-rescue pilot and his intervention last month appears to have had some success. In a highly unusual move, Downing Street sources revealed the approach after the Prime Minister hinted at royal involvement in the process.

It emerged that Prince William talked to Mr Cameron about the issue while the two men were in Zurich as part of England’s 2018 World Cup bid team. At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Cameron was pressed on planned changes to the air-sea rescue and coastguard services.

He told MPs: “I have been lobbied extensively about air and sea rescue, including by people from all walks of life if I can put it that way.”

That tantalising answer was enough to force Downing Street sources to disclose that Prince William had spoken to Mr Cameron. The Ministry of Defence and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency provide a 24-hour military and civil helicopter search-and-rescue service from 12 bases around the country. The service is provided by the RAF, the Royal Navy and a civilian helicopter service.

Under the Coalition’s plans, the service would be privatised – with RAF, Navy and Coastguard crews replaced by pilots employed by a private company in a multi-billion pound deal.

Prince William, 28, is based at RAF Valley, on Anglesey, north Wales. His daily duties include supporting mountain rescue, the coastguard and air ambulance services.
Over Christmas, he was part of a mission in which the helicopter he was flying was diverted to pick up a life support machine and transport specialist staff from Leicester to Manchester to try to help Sarah Bowden, 20, who was suffering from swine flu while pregnant.

Despite the emergency mission, she died 11 days after the birth of her son Harry.

Prince William’s determined intervention on behalf of the search-and-rescue service seems to have been at least partly successful.

Two weeks after the Prince and Mr Cameron spoke in Switzerland, transport ministers postponed an announcement about the planned sell-off. The reason given was that the preferred bidder, a consortium made up of Sikorsky, Thales, CHC Helicopter and Royal Bank of Scotland, said it had become aware of a “possible issue” in connection with its bid. Under the plan, the group, known as Soteria, would take over responsibility from the RAF, with Sikorsky providing its S92 helicopters and Thales supplying the electronics.
A St James’s Palace spokesman refused to confirm whether Prince William had lobbied the Prime Minister on the future of the Search and Rescue Force, adding: “We never comment on conversations that might or might not have happened between the Prime Minister and members of the Royal family.

“The Prince is a serving officer in the Royal Air Force and he will follow any orders or changes that may or may not happen in the future.”

Strict protocol forbids politicians from discussing conversations they have had with members of the Royal family, and even a hint from a prime ministerial aide about topics that have been discussed will meet with strong disapproval among courtiers.

The Prime Minister’s weekly audiences with the Queen are not attended by civil servants or courtiers and the Queen was reported to have been unimpressed with Tony Blair’s decision to reveal in his memoirs snippets of the conversation he had with her when he was first invited to form a government.

The Prince of Wales is known to have lobbied politicians or their advisers in the past, but his interventions have come to light through leaked documents or court papers, rather than from politicians.

Last year, it emerged that the Prince of Wales had expressed strong opinions about the proposed redevelopment of Chelsea Barracks in west London during a meeting with Sir Simon Milton, the deputy mayor of London.

The £3 billion plan was scrapped by Qatari Diar, the Qatari royal family’s development company, after the Prince complained to senior Qatari royals.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/8256325/Prince-William-lobbied-PM-to-save-RAF-search-and-rescue.html

Report into deadly 2009 chopper crash off Newfoundland to be released next month

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – The Transportation Safety Board will release next month its final report into a deadly helicopter crash off Newfoundland nearly two years ago.

The federal agency announced today that it will release the findings of its probe into the tragedy on Feb. 9.

Cougar Flight 491 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on March 12, 2009, killing 17 people aboard.

Robert Decker, a weather and ice observer, was the only survivor.

The Sikorsky S-92A helicopter was carrying workers to the Hibernia and White Rose oilfields, more than 300 kilometres east of St. John’s, before it crashed.

http://www.am1150.ca/News/National/Article.aspx?id=255216

From CTV News: (Nov 24) Cyclone Helicopters delayed a third time

“…U.S.-based Sikorsky has informed the federal government it won’t meet a Nov. 30 deadline for delivery of early versions of the Cyclone helicopters used for testing and evaluation.”

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20101124/cyclone-helicopters-101124/

and from the Globe and Mail; Plan to replace aging Sea Kings hits new snag

“…This will be the third time that Sikorsky has fallen short of its promises in the $5.7-billion contract to provide 28 Cyclone helicopters to the Canadian Forces. …. Sikorsky was supposed to start delivering fully compliant helicopters in late 2008,”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/plan-to-replace-aging-sea-kings-hits-new-snag/article1809584/

Where is the outrage?

Interesting back and forth between observers and parties to the long, messy, delayed and over-budget saga of Canada’s Maritime Helicopter Program. Canada is the first customer for the MH-92, a military version of the S-92, called the CH-148 Cyclone

• Toronto Star columnist Angelo Persichilli’s Dec. 5 column – Persichilli: Where’s the outrage over squandered billions? http://www.thestar.com/article/901612–persichilli-where-s-the-outrage-over-squandered-billions
• Head-scratching reply from Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel), Department of National Defence Dan Ross on Dec. 14 – “…on track to deliver the aircraft below the approved budgets.” Really? http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/907048–clarifying-helicopter-costs
• Reality check for Dan Ross: Letter from retired Canadian Forces Colonel Larry McWha on Dec. 16: Good reason for outrage on helicopters http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/908502–good-reason-for-outrage-on-helicopters

All of a sudden, the S-92 has “interim” gear boxes?

• They still crack – do they have run-dry capability yet?
• What about the military version Canada bought which must have run dry?

Lots of recent coverage about ongoing problems with the S-92 main gear box and transmission housings – apparently with no end in sight.

John Croft at Flight Global cites the latest EASA and FAA emergency airworthiness directives:
“This new housing configuration is added to the applicability of this AD because it is prone to the same cracks as the [main gearbox] listed in the current AD”

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/11/30/350325/faa-easa-inspections-needed-for-interim-s-92-gearboxes.html

From the CBC: Offshore chopper problem not fixed: FAA

http://www.cbc.ca/ ewfou/ ewfoundland-labrador/story/2010/12/01/nl-faa-ad-sikorsky-1201.html

The FAA emergency airworthiness directive is here:

The EASA emergency airworthiness directive is here: