That the Parliament notes the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigation to Airbus Helicopters EC175 B, G-MCSH, which was published on 22 May 2025; further notes that the incident occurred on TotalEnergies Elgin PUQ offshore oil platform during strong winds in Storm Otto on 17 February 2023; notes that, according to the report, a failure of the helicopter rotor brake meant it was not possible to stop the rotors fully to moor the aircraft to the offshore helideck; further notes that the report states that, due to the strong winds and exacerbating vertical air flow, rotor blade sailing caused four blades to break and detach from the helicopter, one of which nearly struck a worker; believes that the AAIB investigation identified operational shortcomings and faults with the model of the helicopter flight recorder, and calls on the parties named in the report, Airbus Helicopters, Acron Aviation, Leading Offshore Energy Industry Competitiveness Limited, Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to implement the six safety recommendations fully to improve worker safety in the offshore energy sector.
Supported by:
Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, Fulton MacGregor, Kevin Stewart, Paul Sweeney