Seventeen people died March 12, 2009, when a Cougar helicopter like this one crashed into the ocean about 55 kilometres southeast of St. John's. (Courtesy of Cougar)

The Transportation Safety Board has rejected a request by the families of victims of a helicopter crash off the coast of Newfoundland in 2009 to see a draft report on the accident that killed 17, according to their lawyer.

"We were told by the TSB's Wendy Tadros that the families would not be able to contribute to the completeness and accuracy of the final report," Jamie Martin said Wednesday at an inquiry established to look for ways to improve offshore helicopter transportation.

Martin said he asked the TSB for access to its draft report into the crash, which killed 15 offshore workers and both pilots on a Cougar S-92 helicopter on March 12, 2009.

It was flying to oil rigs hundreds of kilometres east of St. John's, but turned around when its engines began to lose oil pressure. The helicopter slammed into the ocean 55 kilometres southeast of St. John's.

The inquiry is led by retired Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court Judge Robert Wells.

Martin spoke after Wells clarified that it was the TSB, not the inquiry, that denied families access to the report.

Wells was reacting to a headline in a St. John's newspaper that said the inquiry was shutting out victims' families. Last week, the lawyer representing Robert Decker, the sole survivor of the crash, complained that his client was also denied access to the draft report.

Wells is scheduled to hear final submissions from parties with standing at the inquiry on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Wells said last week he will submit his report before the end of October.