International oil and gas giant Shell has chosen not to sign a major contract with Bond Offshore Helicopters, a UK company specialising in providing offshore helicopter transportation services between Aberdeen, Scotland and several North Sea oil platforms , BBC reports.
Shell had been close to awarding the contract to Bond but decided not to do it after one of Bond’s helicopters ditched into the North Sea on May 10th, The Scotsman reveals.
The helicopter was on its way to the Maersk Resilient platform, when the crew of the aircraft was forced to conduct a controlled ditching in the North Sea , 35 miles off the coast of Aberdeen. All 14 crew members were rescued. Two passengers sustained minor injuries.
Bond’s flights were grounded, and AAIB conducted an investigation which showed that the gearbox flaw was the cause of the accident.
On Monday, May 28, three weeks after the incident, Bill Munro, Managing Director of Bond Offshore Helicopters, resigned from the company.
[mappress] Offshore Energy Today Staff, May 31, 2012; Image: Bond Aviation