ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 73451
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| Date: | Thursday 13 August 1981 |
| Time: | 15:42 |
| Type: |  Westland Wessex 60 (S-58T) |
| Owner/operator: | Bristow Helicopters |
| Registration: | G-ASWI |
| MSN: | WA/199 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | North Sea, off Happisburgh, 12 miles ENE of Bacton, Norfolk -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Offshore |
| Departure airport: | Amoco 27E gas platform |
| Bacton gas terminal, Bacton, Norfolk | |
| Investigating agency: | AIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
G-ASWI left the North Denes airfield at 13:47 on Friday 13 August 1981 on a routine passenger and freight flight between rigs on the Leman and Indefatigable gas fields. The crew consisted of a pilot and a cabin attendant, plus 11 passengers.
At 15:41, returning from the Leman field to the landing site at Bacton, the commander, Ben Breach, sent a distress message reporting that he was ditching due to engine failure. 3 seconds later the aircraft was lost to radar. A Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Westland Sea King left RAF Coltishall at 15:47, sighting floating wreckage from G-ASWI at 15:57. There were no survivors.
Efforts to recover the wreck were delayed, meaning that the wreck was beyond recovery by the time salvage operations started. There was insufficient evidence to explain either the loss of power or loss of control that caused the aircraft to crash. The inquest into the deaths of those on board recorded an open verdict.
Bristow withdrew the type after this accident.
On August 13th 2014 a memorial to those killed in the crash was unveiled at Great Yarmouth Minster.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5423008ded915d1374000a57/4-1983_G-ASWI.pdf
2. CAA: https://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-ASWI.pdf
3. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1981/1981
4. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1981/1981
5. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1983/1983
6. http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2014-08-13/memorial-to-helicopter-crash-victims-finally-unveiled-33-years-after-disaster/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_Bristow_Helicopters_Westland_Wessex_crash
8. http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/helicopter-crash-left-families-without-fathers-sons-brothers-and-husbands-1-3769992
9. https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/348498-wessex-crash-norfolk-1981-a.html
10. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19811110&id=HcNAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=16UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1913,1441823&hl=en (Herald)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Mar-2010 23:05 | Ian53 | Added |
| 13-Mar-2010 23:14 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Jul-2010 09:04 | TB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Location] |
| 18-Jul-2010 09:37 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 11-Aug-2012 13:39 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 14-Sep-2012 04:04 | TB | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 09-Aug-2014 14:42 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Aug-2014 19:51 | Aeossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 25-Aug-2014 12:42 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 23-Oct-2015 18:50 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 31-Jan-2016 19:16 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
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