G-GZCH

Destroyed
Fatal

SIKORSKY S-92A

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, March 12, 2009
NTSB Number
CEN09RA205
Location
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Event ID
20090312X15814
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
Highest Injury
Fatal
Fatalities
17
Serious Injuries
1
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
18

Probable Cause and Findings

Not required for RA.

Aircraft Information

Registration
G-GZCH
Make
SIKORSKY
Engine Type
Turbo-shaft
Model / ICAO
S-92AS92
Aircraft Type
Rotorcraft
No. of Engines
2

Analysis

On March 12, 2009, about 0926 ADT, Atlantic Daylight Time, a Sikorsky S-92A helicopter, Canadian registry C-GZCH, operated by Cougar Helicopters, impacted the waters of the North Atlantic about 28 miles east of Cape Spear near St. John's, Newfoundland. There were two pilots and 16 passengers on board the helicopter. One passenger survived with serious injuries, but the other occupants were fatally injured. The helicopter was en route from St. John's International Airport (CYYT) to an offshore oil platform in the Hibernia oil field. The pilot made a MAYDAY call due to a mechanical difficulty, and was returning to St. John's at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and the sea state had 3 - 5 meter swells. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed.

The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada. Any further information may be obtained from:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Place du Centre

200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor

Gatineau, Quebec

J8X 4B7

This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained for the Government of Canada.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09RA205