Norway helicopter crashed caused by mechanical failure says aviation board
The aircraft was owned by CHC Helicopters, a company based in Richmond, B.C.
The crash of a B.C.-owned helicopter that killed 13 people in Norway, Friday, was caused by a mechanical failure, said the the Norwegian accident investigation board, Tuesday.
The aircraft, an Airbus H225 Super Puma, was owned by CHC Helicopters, a company based in Richmond, B.C.
"We are as certain as we can be that a technical error caused the accident. We don't think it was due to human misinterpretations," said Kaare Halvorsen, the director of the board's aviation department.
The board told reporters Tuesday their probe and visual evidence, including video of the helicopter's rotor propelling into the sea moments before it crashed, indicated sudden mechanical failure.
It did not elaborate, saying a full investigation would take time.
CHC Helicopters provided this written statement to CBC Tuesday:
"We are grateful for the work of the Accident Investigation Board Norway and hope their initial update provides some comfort to the families of those who lost loved ones in last Friday's tragic accident."
The 11 passengers and two crew on the flight were mostly Norwegian, except for one British and one Italian national.
CHC Helicopters said it will continue to offer its full support to the Norway's aviation investigation board.
The helicopter was transporting passengers from a Norwegian oil platform, operated by Statoil, on Friday when it crashed, killing everyone onboard.
Several witnesses told Norwegian media last week they saw the rotor separate from the helicopter while still in the air.
With files from Farrah Merali, Reuters, Associated Press
