Super Puma sparks full emergency

A SUPER Puma L2 helicopter with 14 people on board sparked a full emergency at Sumburgh airport, in Shetland, late on Wednesday afternoon.

The chopper, operated by CHC Helicopter, was diverted to Sumburgh after an indicator light came on in the cockpit, 45 miles south east of the airport. The pilots issued a pan pan distress call at 5.35pm

Police, ambulance and fire services rushed to the airport at Shetland’s south end, and both lifeboats, in Aith and Lerwick, were put on standby.

The Super Puma was escorted to the airport by the Sumburgh based Coastguard search and rescue helicopter 102, which had been on a training exercise in the vicinity.

The aircraft landed safely at 5.54pm, 20 minutes after first alerting the emergency services.

A spokeswoman for CHC Helicopter said the incident shouldn’t be described as an emergency. The helicopter remains grounded and will be checked by engineers. The passengers are being flown to the Aberdeen later on Wednesday.

In August last year, four people died when a Super Puma L2 helicopter crashed into the sea off Sumburgh.

Earlier this week, a parliamentary committee of MPs heard calls for a full judicial inquiry into helicopter safety as part of the own investigations.