Louisiana Helicopter Crash Investigations Turn Focus to Oil Rig Workers' Safety

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Maritime Lawyer

As investigations in the helicopter crash in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana that killed 8 offshore rig workers continue, the safety of riggers and engineers who constantly use helicopters on the job, is receiving much needed attention.

The Sikorsky S-76 C helicopter that crashed 10 minutes after taking off, was carrying 9 workers from Amelia, Louisiana to an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico owned by the Shell Oil Company. The helicopter was owned by PHI Inc.  The workers on board the helicopter were on their way to repair damages caused by Hurricane Gustav.  

The crash has turned attention to the safety of the hundreds of offshore workers required to frequently travel between rigs and platforms by helicopter. Air travel has not been a major cause of maritime accidents and fatalities in the oil and gas industry; one of the country's deadliest sectors. The mortality rate in this industry is estimated to be up to 7 times greater than in other sectors. Between 2003 and 2007, 526 people died on the job in the oil and gas industry; 20 of these died in air accidents. The biggest danger to workers in the industry comes from accidents in the field, such as being hit by falling objects, which alone causes more than 50% of all oil rig accident-related deaths. Over the past decade, the worker death rate in the industry has doubled from 15 deaths in 1999 to 30 deaths for every 100,000 workers in 2007. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the increase in the number of deaths in maritime accidents can simply be attributed to increased drilling activity. 

Helicopter Crash Maritime Accidents

In 2008, a Bell 206 helicopter headed to a drilling platform 18 miles off the coast crashed into the water, killing the pilot and 4 oil field workers on board. The accident is still under investigation. Everyday, hundreds of helicopter flights are routinely made, transporting employees to and from rigs and platforms. The majority of these end safely, but the risk of injuries and fatalities with this concentration of aviation traffic in the industry is very real, as proven by the Terrebonne Parish helicopter crash.

If you have been injured in an offshore accident, you will need expert representation by an experienced maritime lawyer to ensure that you recover the compensation you deserve from all parties. At Arnold & Itkin LLP, we have the skills necessary to successfully represent you. 

Contact an experienced maritime attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your case.

 

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8 Offshore Rig Workers Killed in Helicopter Accident in Gulf of Mexico

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Maritime Lawyer

Investigations are ongoing in an early January helicopter crash in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana that killed 8 offshore rig and maritime workers and injured at least one person.

The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting investigations in the crash involving a Sikorsky S-76C owned by Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI), a Lafayette based company. The helicopter was on its way to a Shell Oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico when it crashed into a marsh near Bayou Penchant. The 8 people killed in the crash were offshore rig workers. At least one family has already filed a lawsuit against Petroleum Helicopters Inc.

In recent years helicopters have become one of the main modes of transportation used to ferry rig workers and maritime equipment to offshore platforms. As technological advances allowed the construction of rigs in deeper waters, maritime companies and oil companies began to find it cheaper and more efficient to transport rig workers and equipment by helicopter rather than by ship, as was the case earlier. According to statistics from the Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference, which collects data from about 15 operators in the Gulf of Mexico region, close to 3 million passengers on 600 helicopters traveled the Gulf of Mexico region last year. With more and more helicopters being pressed into service, the risk of accidents has increased.

According to an earlier report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Gulf of Mexico helicopter fleet is at a higher risk for accidents than the national rate. Petroleum Helicopter Inc. operates 162 aircrafts that regularly transport workers and equipment to platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. In the past decade alone, accidents involving helicopters owed by the company have killed at least 30 people, including those who died in January.

Offshore workers like engineers, riggers and laborers are constantly required to travel between platforms. While workers may disregard such nominal things as transportation risks, the fact is their mode of transportation is a risky one.

Investigating a Maritime Helicopter Accident

There are several factors that can go into the investigation of a maritime helicopter crash. Fleet records should be investigated to rule out mechanical malfunction of the chopper, and the possibility of pilot error must be probed thoroughly.  A maritime accident lawyer must have access to resources that will make such investigations possible.

At Arnold &Itkin LLP, we have represented dozens of maritime workers over the years and have obtained fair and just compensation. 

If you have been injured in a maritime helicopter accident, contact a Louisiana maritime accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP.

 

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