All Safe After Super Puma North Sea Ditching

The incident, which happened about 25 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland, involved a Bond EC 225 Super Puma that was transporting offshore oil workers to two North Sea rigs.

According to published reports, the Super Puma pilots chose to set the helicopter down in the water after receiving a low oil pressure warning indication. In April 2009, 16 aboard a Bond Super Puma were killed after a major gearbox failure led to a crash in the North Sea.

Three Aberdeen Coast Guard search and rescue helicopters were scrambled after the safe ditching on emergency floats, which happened at about 12:15 p.m. local time. Passengers and crew were taken back to Aberdeen aboard the rescue helicopters and by boat.

The helicopter was headed from Aberdeen to the Maersk Resilient and Ensco 102 drilling rigs when the mayday call was received. Bond helicopter flights from Aberdeen have been temporarily suspended pending an investigation.