Helicopter was operating a scheduled passenger flight from the Miller Platform in the North Sea, to Aberdeen. Whilst cruising at 2,000 ft amsl, and some 50 minutes into the flight, there was a catastrophic failure of the helicopter’s Main Rotor Gearbox (MGB). The helicopter departed from cruise flight and shortly after this the main rotor and part of the epicyclic module separated from the fuselage. The helicopter then struck the surface of the sea with a high vertical speed. All on board – 2 crew and 14 passengers – died in the accident
