TURØY (AP) A helicopter with 13 aboard crashed at Turøy in Hordaland. 11 people are found dead, while the search is in progress for the last two.
“11 people found, no alive. Your progress for the last two, “tweet Joint Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) just before 15 o’clock.
Of the 13 on board found the eleven Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian.
– everyone who was on board presumed dead, said operations manager Terje Magnussen at the Western police District told VG just after 16:30.
– Do you know anything about the cause of helikopterstyrten?
– No, it’s hard to say and it will be a comprehensive investigation that will take hold of this, says Magnussen VG.
VG journalist at the site reported at 15.15 time duration that it was borne fatalities aboard naval vessel. 17.00 he explains that the wreckage is found at a distance from the helicopter.
– We’re still looking for the last two were on board the helicopter. We have divers in the water now, and we’ve got hold of people who are working to bring themselves into the wreckage, said rescue leader Børge Galta in JRCC VG clock 16.15.
It’s all about a helicopter en route to the country from the Gullfaks field in the North Sea, according to HRS. Statoil has mobilized its entire emergency response organization and put all helicopters of the same type temporarily on the ground.
– This is terribly tragic, and we are strongly affected. I can not give any information, it is the group that needs doing, says the primary contact for the shop stewards at Gullfaks B, Knut-Arne Antonsen.
In a press release says CEO Dag Falk-Petersen Avinor that mind goes to the bereaved.
– This is a difficult day for Norwegian aviation. Avinor is strongly affected by the serious helicopter accident at Turøy in Hordaland. Our thoughts are with the bereaved, colleagues and all concerned, says Falk-Petersen.
section : What we know about the helicopter accident
FOUND: The rotor which detached from the aircraft, is found several hundred meters from the accident site.
Photo: Tor Erik Mathiesen
CHC Helikopter Service confirms in a statement the accident with one of their helicopters Airbus EC 255, where 13 people were on board. It also states that the helicopter was operated by Statoil.
The CAA has by accident prohibited to fly the helicopter type EC225L, ie the type that went down outside Bergen today.
Witnesses say to VG reporter on site that they saw the helicopter begin to wobble while it made strange noises. They tell that the rotor gradually loosened from the helicopter, falling in a steep arc towards the ground.
Police: – Very demanding
scene commander at the site confirms ahead an overall push 16:30 that found 11 fatalities, and that the search continues unabated until police control.
– There are large forces in connection with the kind of accident, and therefore our work very demanding. What we focus on now is to do a good search on land and at sea. The wreck is located, but we have not found any survivors, he said.
Efforts manager did not want to tell about some of the victims have been found inside the helicopter. He does not wish to comment on whether it was sent some distress signal from the helicopter.
According helicopter expert Per Gram is very difficult to get sent a distress signal if the rotor loosening, because the pilot is completely bypassed and because things happen very fast .
Some found on land
the clock 15.20 tells John Sjursø by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) VG that the search for the last two who were on board the helicopter, is in full swing.
– We have hopes of finding these two.
– can you say something about how the 11 that were found were found?
– I know that there have been found some land, but I’m not sure some also were found in the sea, says Sjursø, adding that it is an ongoing preparatory work to raise the fuselage of the helicopter, which is 6-7 meters deep in the sea.
Redningsskøyta Hordaland, operated by crews from Hordaland Red cross also searched in the past few hours.
– We found some debris, said deputy John Terje Furholm VG.
He confirmed that the main rotor has come off the helicopter.
– the main rotor sits on a rock outcrop about 100 meters from where the the helicopter is under water, he said.
case continues below the timeline.
– the rotor fell off
Gullfaks B is a living quarters, drilling and water injection platform in 145 meters of water. It was put into production in 1988.
Witnesses say to VG that the helicopter’s rotor should have fallen off before it hit the ground. The accident happened just before 12 o’clock.
– The rotor is located on the land, while the hull of 6-7 meters deep in the sea. Everything indicates that this has been a violent affair, said spokesman John Sjursø by HRS VG at 14.30.
– The helicopter company from CHC Helikopter Service, and is of a EC225 . It accommodates 19 passengers and two crew members on board, said information officer Hege Alstad in CAA, which right now has set up a crisis team.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg is now following the situation closely, getting VG lit from SMK.
Eyewitnesses : – We had to run for their lives
It transported 600,000 passengers to and from Norwegian oil platforms in a year, says helicopter expert Per Gram to VGTV.
Famous again skobag
Laila Merete Stenestø Vindenes (51) was until recently the base commander of a helicopter company at the airport.
she cottage winds Pollen near the place where the helicopter crashed Friday.
just before 12 o’clock, she heard a strange sound and a tremendous bang. She felt again that strange sound, and quickly realized that it had to come from a helicopter.
– I went in my boat and got out to help when help is needed. I am accustomed to hearing helikopterlyd, and the approach towards Flesland directly across the cottage my roof. I saw that it burned on an islet. Then I caught sight of small wreckage. Life jackets floated on the water surface, said Vindenes VG.
So she made a discovery that she would have liked to be without.
– I recognized the special color of the shoe bags that floated up to the surface. It’s the same skobagene as crew in CHC Helikopter Service always uses on their travels. Then I realized what this was, says Laila Merete Steinestø Vindenes – without her will deepen their relationship with the accident-stricken helicopter company.
Vindenes noted that there was a huge array of rescuers – both professional and volunteers at Dirt Holmene just after helikopterstyrten.
– I am tremendously impressed everyone who came to the crash site to offer his assistance. Here was breeding vessels, private boats and rescuers from all sides. It was just such a shame that there was nothing we could do, says of wines which even threw themselves in their boat when suspected what had happened.
She believes the pilots was no chance to avert disaster if it is correct that a rotor separating from the helicopter.
– If the rotor is, there are enormous forces that set in motion without control, describes Vindenes.
Partly under water
– We Avinor has turned full readiness and at the airport there sat a crisis team, said airport director Aslak Sverdrup VG.
JRCC informs to VG the helicopter appears to be totally destroyed and disintegrated.
– is situated partly on land and partly in the sea. Now it is done a thorough job on the spot. There are people we are looking for, says Sjursø by HRS, which says that there were 11 passengers and two pilots on board.
According to HRS is part of the hull observed under water, approximately 20 meters from shore.
Divers, boats, rescue boats and helicopters are participating in the search.
– We have received in many, many reports of a helicopter crash just west of Turøy. Many reported that they heard an explosion and smoke. We have confirmed that a helicopter crashed and that it’s seen people in the sea, says Sjursø, adding that they have declared full disaster alarm.
Turøy located in the municipality of Fjell, but Skit Holmen , islet where the helicopter went down, located near Bergen.
Three people from Accident Investigation Board is expected to land in Bergen already this afternoon. Two additional accident investigators runs over rocks from Oslo and arriving in the morning.
The same helicopter type : Involved in several serious accidents
the case continues below.
defense requested assistance
– JRCC Southern leader action and has requested the defense assistance, says Ivar Moen, lieutenant colonel and spokesman at the Joint headquarters, VG, before adding:
– There is considerable civilian capacity in the area before, but HRS has requested the defense of vessels and diving capacity. That we are responsible for is a frigate, the KNM “Otto Sverdrup” Two CB90-class fast assault craft with two divers each and Coast Guard vessel “Tor”. They are all in the area and heading towards the place now.
There is established a no-fly zone over the accident site, which also applies to drones.
smoke from the crash site
VG employee Harald Vikøyr is at a police roadblock at the exit towards Turøy, where police have set up a hold.
– there will still smoke from the crash site and there are many emergency vehicles from police, fire and health care on the spot, says Vikøyr.
case continues below the graphic.
Sending two priests to Gullfaks B
– We have a special contingency agreement with Statoil, which means that they contact us at the major and minor events as needed. We commonly seven priests have their daily work on the Norwegian continental shelf, says Asbjørn Vilkensen, Head of Foreign Affairs of the Norwegian Seamen’s Church.
Seamen’s Church was contacted by Statoil at 13 o’clock, and four priests were quickly involved. An hour later two priests in place upon receipt hotel at Flesland. The clock 16 Friday, two other priests fly out to Gullfaks B.
– This is first and foremost about being a human being. Priests working in the North Sea, and they know the environment and the people who are now affected by what has happened. The accident has affected the environment hard, says Vilkensen.
He emphasizes that the Seamen’s Church will assist Statoil as long as it needs it, and be present for employees, dependents and survivors. But also for colleagues from other parts of the offshore industry.
– I would think that most people who work in the Norwegian oil and gas industry feels strongly affected by this, says Vilkensen.
Witness: – A violent explosion
there are daily large helicopter traffic over Turøy and the surrounding area as this is a common route for many of helicopters carrying workers to the North Sea.
A witness to the accident tells VG about a violent explosion about 1,000 meters from her house.
– we stepped out of the car, then came my husband running. “Move you, move you,” he cried and said rotor blades could come against us. Then we heard a violent explosion, said Rebecca Andersen told VG.
– Before the accident, we saw that the helicopter vacillated and that the rotor blades came rushing into the air.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Minister of Justice Anders Anundsen is notified of the accident, getting VG illuminated.
Neighbour – Toasted whole house
Susanne Moe lives on Vindenes, a short drive from where the helicopter crashed.
– I heard that it was a helicopter on its way, so it was suddenly silent . And then a bang. It shook my whole house, she tells VG.
From his residence, she can see the smoke from the crash site.
– Now I hear a plane that has circled over the area for some time and lots of sirens, she said.
PS! We have established an dependents center Scandic Kokstad. Relatives asked to contact them by phone 800 500 20.
DRAMATIC: Black smoke is visible from the wreckage after helikopterstyrten by Turøy.
Photo: Vegard Jostein Turøy VG-Tip
SMOKE: Smoke seeps up from the crash site where a helicopter crashed at Turøy in Oslo Friday afternoon.
Photo: SUSANNE MOE VG-Tip
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