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00:00:03,417 --> 00:00:07,214
A thousand metres
above the frigid North Sea,
disaster strikes.
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00:00:12,219 --> 00:00:15,670
A helicopter is crippled
in the middle of a sudden
storm.
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00:00:16,533 --> 00:00:20,434
The pilots struggle for control
as it sinks helplessly
towards the sea.
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00:00:21,504 --> 00:00:24,507
They're far from land,
off the radar screens;
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00:00:24,610 --> 00:00:27,234
no one knows
exactly where they are.
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00:00:32,825 --> 00:00:34,413
In the days that follow,
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00:00:34,517 --> 00:00:37,761
investigators search
for the truth
hidden in this tangled wreck.
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00:00:39,315 --> 00:00:42,076
The cause of the crash shocks
those involved,
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00:00:42,180 --> 00:00:46,149
and reveals a hidden danger
that reaches far beyond
the North Sea.
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00:00:50,533 --> 00:00:53,777
- 3,000?
- We're not getting any oxygen!
11
00:00:53,881 --> 00:00:57,057
- We have the terrain alarm.
- Aero Peru 603...
12
00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,197
We are in an emergency.
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00:01:12,313 --> 00:01:16,593
The need for oil drives men
to some of the most unpleasant
places on Earth.
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00:01:17,422 --> 00:01:19,113
This is one of them.
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00:01:23,876 --> 00:01:27,121
The North Sea divides Britain
from mainland Europe.
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00:01:27,225 --> 00:01:30,124
It's a shallow sea
and the cruel winds
that race across it
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00:01:30,228 --> 00:01:32,368
can whip up enormous waves.
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00:01:32,954 --> 00:01:35,716
The sea is cold,
grey and violent.
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But there's oil out here,
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00:01:40,376 --> 00:01:44,138
and so dozens
of drilling platforms
and thousands of men
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00:01:44,242 --> 00:01:46,589
must face whatever the weather
throws at them.
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00:01:49,661 --> 00:01:53,630
The only efficient way
to get the men out there
is by helicopter.
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00:01:59,774 --> 00:02:03,813
The flights are rough and long,
up to 500 kilometres each way.
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00:02:06,540 --> 00:02:09,750
After years, the trip
has become largely routine,
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00:02:09,853 --> 00:02:12,270
the danger below
forgotten by many.
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What was that?
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00:02:17,965 --> 00:02:21,624
But on a cold January morning
in 1995,
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18 men flying over the North Sea
were faced
with a horrible question.
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00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:30,391
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
Tail-rotor failure! Ditching!
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00:02:30,909 --> 00:02:34,568
Could they survive
in this extremely hostile
environment?
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00:02:36,708 --> 00:02:39,193
Oh, God! Ah!
32
00:02:43,335 --> 00:02:46,166
January 19, 1995.
33
00:02:46,269 --> 00:02:49,272
Commander Ced Roberts
and First Officer Lionel Sole
34
00:02:49,376 --> 00:02:52,241
work for Bristow Helicopters
in Aberdeen, Scotland.
35
00:02:54,312 --> 00:02:58,005
Their job is to ferry oil
workers out to the oil
platforms in the North Sea.
36
00:02:58,902 --> 00:03:01,319
By mid-morning,
they've completed one trip
already,
37
00:03:01,422 --> 00:03:03,355
and are getting ready
to head back out.
38
00:03:05,737 --> 00:03:08,774
Their helicopter
is Super Puma 56 Charlie.
39
00:03:08,878 --> 00:03:12,192
While it's being checked out
and refuelled,
40
00:03:12,295 --> 00:03:14,263
Flight Officer Sole checks
the flight logs,
41
00:03:14,366 --> 00:03:16,334
and Commander Roberts goes
through the weather reports,
42
00:03:16,437 --> 00:03:18,577
which are updated
every two hours.
43
00:03:19,095 --> 00:03:21,511
Oh, weather's okay.
Good for January.
44
00:03:23,306 --> 00:03:25,929
This is where they're heading:
The North Sea.
45
00:03:26,827 --> 00:03:28,656
The discovery of oil here
in the 1960s
46
00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,521
was a shot in the arm
for the British economy.
47
00:03:33,972 --> 00:03:36,077
Brent Crude,
as the oil is known,
48
00:03:36,319 --> 00:03:39,909
is a light, sweet crude,
ideal for turning into
gasoline,
49
00:03:40,012 --> 00:03:43,568
and its price is a benchmark
on the international oil
market.
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00:03:47,848 --> 00:03:51,921
It helped turn Aberdeen,
the Scottish port city
closest to the oil rigs,
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00:03:52,024 --> 00:03:55,476
into a boom town,
the European oil capital.
52
00:03:59,929 --> 00:04:02,380
All the leading oil companies
have offices here.
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00:04:04,485 --> 00:04:07,902
The city is focused on
getting the black gold ashore.
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00:04:08,869 --> 00:04:10,940
Because the rigs
are so far offshore,
55
00:04:11,043 --> 00:04:12,942
and the weather
so unpredictable,
56
00:04:13,045 --> 00:04:17,049
helicopters are the only way
to reliably ferry workers
back and forth.
57
00:04:18,741 --> 00:04:21,675
Hundreds of thousands of people
make the trip every year.
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00:04:23,815 --> 00:04:27,922
The Super Pumas
are one of the workhorses
of the North Sea oil industry.
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00:04:28,026 --> 00:04:30,960
Used around the world
by industry and military,
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00:04:31,063 --> 00:04:34,757
they're durable, tough,
and made to withstand
the elements.
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00:04:36,034 --> 00:04:38,830
There are more
of these helicopters flying
offshore here
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00:04:38,933 --> 00:04:40,866
than anywhere else in the world.
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00:04:42,592 --> 00:04:44,732
The passengers heading
to the platforms today
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00:04:44,836 --> 00:04:46,907
gather in the heliport's
departure lounge.
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00:04:48,633 --> 00:04:51,118
They all work
for the Texas company
Marathon Oil.
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00:04:52,084 --> 00:04:54,535
The North Sea has scores
of oilfields.
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00:04:54,639 --> 00:04:58,539
They are divided up
between several countries,
including England and Norway.
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00:04:58,643 --> 00:05:02,681
The governments then sell
the rights to drill
to a variety of oil companies.
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00:05:02,785 --> 00:05:04,407
Marathon operates
three platforms
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00:05:04,511 --> 00:05:08,618
in the so-called Brae Field,
Brae East, Bravo and Alpha.
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00:05:10,482 --> 00:05:13,727
North Sea oil platforms
are like cities
that never sleep.
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00:05:15,142 --> 00:05:20,354
They stand on the seabed,
held up by enormous legs
of either metal or concrete.
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00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,810
Below each one,
pipes snake out to the seabed.
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00:05:29,812 --> 00:05:31,572
Some straight down,
75
00:05:31,676 --> 00:05:35,058
others fanning out at an angle
for up to several kilometres.
76
00:05:37,129 --> 00:05:40,581
The same platform
may be extracting both oil
and natural gas
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00:05:40,685 --> 00:05:42,134
at the same time.
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00:05:45,103 --> 00:05:48,831
Out here, you're surrounded
by the sea with nowhere to go.
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00:05:49,659 --> 00:05:51,558
The weather is often horrible.
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00:05:51,661 --> 00:05:55,527
And the work on a rig
can be rough,
dirty and dangerous.
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00:05:56,701 --> 00:05:59,428
It's difficult to find
and retain the skilled workers
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00:05:59,531 --> 00:06:01,395
needed to pull the oil
from the sea.
83
00:06:01,499 --> 00:06:04,329
So the platforms are built
to keep the workers happy.
84
00:06:05,537 --> 00:06:08,609
Movies, internet cafes,
gym equipment,
85
00:06:08,713 --> 00:06:10,577
even great food,
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00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:14,097
are all provided by management
to ensure the men
are entertained.
87
00:06:20,725 --> 00:06:23,590
During 12-hour shifts,
workers handle heavy equipment.
88
00:06:25,730 --> 00:06:27,525
And deal with great heights...
89
00:06:28,733 --> 00:06:30,390
...or great depths.
90
00:06:32,564 --> 00:06:34,566
But there are strict rules, too.
91
00:06:34,670 --> 00:06:37,086
To protect the safety
of everyone onboard,
92
00:06:37,189 --> 00:06:40,400
there's no drinking and smoking
is severely restricted.
93
00:06:42,402 --> 00:06:45,888
Mayday! Explosion or fire
on the pipe or platform.
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00:06:46,129 --> 00:06:47,786
All personnel abandon.
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00:06:47,890 --> 00:06:51,514
One of Britain's
worst disasters happened
in the North Sea oilfields.
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00:06:53,378 --> 00:06:57,347
In 1988,
on Occidental Petroleum's
Piper Alpha platform,
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00:06:57,451 --> 00:07:00,247
the gas exploded
and set fire to oil.
98
00:07:14,192 --> 00:07:16,332
167 men died...
99
00:07:20,647 --> 00:07:23,477
The potential for disaster
is never very far away.
100
00:07:24,029 --> 00:07:28,378
But on this January day,
the Marathon Oil workers
prepare as they always do.
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00:07:30,173 --> 00:07:34,626
All 16 are scheduled
to spend two weeks
on Marathon's Alpha platform,
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00:07:34,730 --> 00:07:36,766
followed by two weeks off.
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To these men, getting to work
has become routine.
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00:07:43,704 --> 00:07:45,568
But getting a ticket
on this flight
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00:07:45,672 --> 00:07:48,295
calls for something
a little out of the ordinary.
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00:07:54,577 --> 00:07:58,788
None of them is permitted
to board a helicopter without
first going through this:
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00:07:58,892 --> 00:08:01,342
helicopter
underwater-escape training.
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00:08:02,343 --> 00:08:04,518
Their lives may depend
on knowing how to get out
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00:08:04,622 --> 00:08:07,279
of a submerged helicopter
or oil rig,
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00:08:07,383 --> 00:08:10,938
and knowing what to do
once they find themselves
in the chilly North Sea.
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00:08:15,805 --> 00:08:20,016
Several accidents
over more than 20 years
have driven home the point.
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00:08:20,258 --> 00:08:22,467
Training may help
a worker survive.
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00:08:28,715 --> 00:08:31,580
Before they set off
on every flight,
they must watch the video:
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00:08:31,683 --> 00:08:34,790
How to Behave if There's
an Emergency on Your Flight.
115
00:08:36,792 --> 00:08:39,277
They've seen it all
a thousand times.
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00:08:39,380 --> 00:08:42,211
In an emergency,
if time does not permit,
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00:08:42,314 --> 00:08:45,835
just tighten your lap strap
and brace for impact.
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00:08:46,491 --> 00:08:48,907
To exit through the windows,
119
00:08:49,011 --> 00:08:52,083
pull the red tab
to completely remove
the rubber seal...
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00:08:52,290 --> 00:08:54,879
The passengers
fasten their survival suits.
121
00:08:54,982 --> 00:08:57,916
Made of GORE-TEX,
these dry suits won't keep
them afloat,
122
00:08:58,020 --> 00:09:01,782
but are supposed to keep
the water out if the workers
are thrown into the sea.
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00:09:04,992 --> 00:09:08,375
Their bright colours
are also designed
to make rescue easier.
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00:09:10,411 --> 00:09:14,795
The trip to the Brae Alpha
oil platform is 230 kilometres.
125
00:09:14,899 --> 00:09:18,385
If all goes well,
it will take little more
than an hour.
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00:09:28,015 --> 00:09:32,088
Then, 120 miles out,
they'll reach an area
called the Gate.
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00:09:32,848 --> 00:09:35,885
That's where all the helicopters
split up
and go their separate ways
128
00:09:35,989 --> 00:09:37,887
to the individual oil platforms.
129
00:09:38,854 --> 00:09:41,615
Brae Alpha is about
40 kilometres from the Gate.
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00:09:44,342 --> 00:09:46,102
For part of the journey,
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00:09:46,206 --> 00:09:50,348
the radar operators at
Air Traffic Control in Aberdeen
won't be able to see them.
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00:09:53,938 --> 00:09:57,907
The reason why we lose
low-level radar coverage
out over the North Sea is,
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00:09:58,011 --> 00:10:00,358
in essence,
because the Earth is round.
134
00:10:00,461 --> 00:10:02,878
As a helicopter's flying
outbound to an oil rig,
135
00:10:02,981 --> 00:10:05,708
it's actually following
the curvature of the Earth.
136
00:10:05,812 --> 00:10:09,332
But radar pulses travel
in straight lines,
137
00:10:09,436 --> 00:10:12,335
which means that as they travel
further and further away,
138
00:10:12,439 --> 00:10:15,822
a gap opens up between
the surface of the Earth
and the radar waves.
139
00:10:16,650 --> 00:10:20,447
If an aircraft flies
into that gap,
then it'll disappear from radar.
140
00:10:20,550 --> 00:10:24,140
In the case of Aberdeen,
a helicopter operating
at about 2,000 feet
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00:10:24,382 --> 00:10:26,522
will disappear into that gap
at about 80 miles.
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00:10:26,626 --> 00:10:30,837
It's a black hole,
which Super Puma 56 Charlie
is now entering.
143
00:10:30,940 --> 00:10:35,635
The helicopter
and the 18 men onboard
are over halfway to the rigs.
144
00:10:35,738 --> 00:10:39,052
And from this moment on,
no one knows exactly
where they are.
145
00:10:41,537 --> 00:10:44,057
56 Charlie
is a Super Puma helicopter
146
00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,129
serving the North Sea
oil platforms
off the coast of Britain.
147
00:10:47,992 --> 00:10:50,891
It's halfway
through a long flight
carrying 16 passengers
148
00:10:50,995 --> 00:10:52,755
to the Brae Alpha oil rig.
149
00:10:55,827 --> 00:10:59,659
The crew is getting concerned
about what they see
on their weather radar.
150
00:10:59,762 --> 00:11:02,454
The forecast called
for scattered clouds,
151
00:11:02,558 --> 00:11:04,629
but the weather
is changing fast.
152
00:11:07,390 --> 00:11:08,944
What do you think
about this cloud?
153
00:11:09,047 --> 00:11:10,670
It's quite thin.
154
00:11:10,773 --> 00:11:13,465
Yeah, but look.
We're getting some cumulus too.
155
00:11:13,569 --> 00:11:15,675
It's quite small.
About 100 yards across?
156
00:11:15,778 --> 00:11:18,229
- Yeah, but it's developing
a bit.
- Mm.
157
00:11:19,057 --> 00:11:22,854
Cumulus are puffy white clouds
like balls of cotton wool.
158
00:11:22,958 --> 00:11:25,754
They're beautiful to look at,
and usually harmless.
159
00:11:26,444 --> 00:11:28,757
They only last
between five and 40 minutes.
160
00:11:30,034 --> 00:11:32,830
But helicopter pilots prefer
to go above them if possible,
161
00:11:32,933 --> 00:11:36,005
because the air inside and below
gets very bumpy.
162
00:11:36,765 --> 00:11:40,561
- Let's try to climb above it.
Go to 5,000 feet.
- Right.
163
00:11:45,739 --> 00:11:47,741
Oh, look.
There's a line of them.
164
00:11:47,845 --> 00:11:50,502
All along the route,
exactly where we're going.
165
00:11:50,606 --> 00:11:52,815
Hmm. Yeah, we're not gaining
anything by this.
166
00:11:52,919 --> 00:11:56,163
- Let's drop back down
to 3,000 feet.
- Alright.
167
00:11:56,439 --> 00:11:59,339
So far, the weather
is nothing to worry about.
168
00:11:59,442 --> 00:12:02,342
But over the North Sea,
it can change suddenly.
169
00:12:03,584 --> 00:12:06,760
This corner of Europe
is where the warm winds
from the Atlantic
170
00:12:06,864 --> 00:12:09,832
meet the icy blasts
from the Arctic and Siberia.
171
00:12:11,213 --> 00:12:15,182
The warm water vapour condenses
into clouds, cools, then sinks.
172
00:12:15,286 --> 00:12:18,979
It creates strong winds,
pushing the huge masses around.
173
00:12:19,186 --> 00:12:23,052
The friction caused
by this motion can make
the clouds electrically
charged,
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00:12:23,156 --> 00:12:26,331
and that electricity
can be released as lightning.
175
00:12:26,435 --> 00:12:30,370
What starts out as a placid day
can end up in a violent storm.
176
00:12:31,647 --> 00:12:33,545
It's now one hour
after takeoff,
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00:12:33,649 --> 00:12:36,307
and 56 Charlie is approaching
the Gate,
178
00:12:36,410 --> 00:12:40,760
the point where helicopters
begin their descent
to the individual oil
platforms.
179
00:12:42,416 --> 00:12:45,074
They're 25 miles
from their destination,
180
00:12:45,178 --> 00:12:47,525
and the weather is starting
to get worse.
181
00:12:48,491 --> 00:12:50,666
Brae Traffic, 56 Charlie,
182
00:12:50,770 --> 00:12:54,532
120 miles on the 056 HMR.
183
00:12:54,635 --> 00:12:56,465
They make contact
with Brae Traffic Watch,
184
00:12:56,568 --> 00:12:58,156
located on one
of the oil platforms.
185
00:12:58,260 --> 00:13:01,573
It handles all the comings
and goings of helicopters.
186
00:13:01,677 --> 00:13:03,679
But Brae Traffic
doesn't have radar.
187
00:13:03,783 --> 00:13:06,337
It too has to rely on the pilots
to tell them where they are.
188
00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,581
Leaving 3,000 feet.
Would you take the flight watch?
189
00:13:09,685 --> 00:13:12,653
Roger, 56 Charlie.
I have your flight watch.
190
00:13:12,757 --> 00:13:16,726
Aberdeen information,
Bristow's 56 Charlie
at 120 miles.
191
00:13:16,830 --> 00:13:19,764
Leaving 3,000 feet.
Brae has the flight watch.
192
00:13:19,868 --> 00:13:23,250
Roger, 56 Charlie.
Continue with ferry traffic.
193
00:13:24,976 --> 00:13:27,599
Quite suddenly,
the weather has changed.
194
00:13:27,703 --> 00:13:31,051
Instead of the harmless
fluffy balls of cotton wool,
195
00:13:31,293 --> 00:13:35,228
a line of dangerous
cumulonimbus clouds
is now blocking their path.
196
00:13:38,472 --> 00:13:42,442
They rise up
like huge white mountains,
more than 10,000 metres,
197
00:13:42,545 --> 00:13:45,272
far higher
than the chopper can fly.
198
00:13:46,515 --> 00:13:48,828
Underneath,
they're dark and menacing.
199
00:13:49,552 --> 00:13:52,245
Pilots try to avoid them
at all costs.
200
00:13:52,935 --> 00:13:56,939
Inside, gusts of wind
can reach up to 100 km/h.
201
00:13:58,907 --> 00:14:01,495
The turbulence
can make the flight unpleasant,
202
00:14:01,599 --> 00:14:03,601
but that's only part
of the danger.
203
00:14:06,915 --> 00:14:09,400
The cumulonimbus,
that's the granddaddy
of all clouds.
204
00:14:09,503 --> 00:14:12,023
It stretches from round
about 1,000 feet at its base
205
00:14:12,265 --> 00:14:14,336
all the way up
to 28-30,000 feet.
206
00:14:14,439 --> 00:14:16,752
They are the most dangerous
clouds that you'll come across,
207
00:14:16,856 --> 00:14:19,375
particularly small aircraft
like helicopters.
208
00:14:19,479 --> 00:14:22,413
Within a cumulonimbus,
you're going to find
severe turbulence,
209
00:14:22,516 --> 00:14:24,725
you're going to find ice
and find heavy rain,
210
00:14:24,829 --> 00:14:26,727
and, of course,
you're going to find lightning.
211
00:14:26,831 --> 00:14:29,385
Flying a helicopter,
that's not where you want to be.
212
00:14:30,352 --> 00:14:33,700
Lightning is one
of the most powerful forces
of nature.
213
00:14:33,803 --> 00:14:37,462
Around the Earth,
it strikes an average
of 100 times per second,
214
00:14:37,566 --> 00:14:40,672
each strike with the power
of up to a billion volts.
215
00:14:44,469 --> 00:14:46,747
Aircraft can't completely
avoid it.
216
00:14:46,851 --> 00:14:50,751
On average,
every passenger jet will be hit
once a year by lightning.
217
00:14:50,855 --> 00:14:54,445
But the design of the planes
helps prevent them
being badly damaged.
218
00:14:55,618 --> 00:14:57,689
Their bodies are traditionally
made of aluminium,
219
00:14:57,793 --> 00:14:59,726
which is a good conductor
of electricity.
220
00:14:59,829 --> 00:15:04,765
The lightning passes harmlessly
along the fuselage
and exits from the tail.
221
00:15:06,112 --> 00:15:09,460
Helicopters use the same type
of design to keep safe,
222
00:15:09,563 --> 00:15:12,290
and helicopters need it
in the North Sea.
223
00:15:12,394 --> 00:15:15,707
With such stormy weather
and so many helicopters,
224
00:15:15,811 --> 00:15:17,778
lightning strikes
are inevitable.
225
00:15:20,574 --> 00:15:22,059
As they begin their descent,
226
00:15:22,162 --> 00:15:25,752
the Super Puma enters the line
of clouds that stands
in their path.
227
00:15:26,408 --> 00:15:29,273
- Bits of cloud coming up here.
- It's okay.
228
00:15:29,376 --> 00:15:32,379
It's still green.
Let's carry on through that.
229
00:15:32,862 --> 00:15:35,279
Green on the weather radar
means there's rain,
230
00:15:35,382 --> 00:15:37,557
but it's not heavy enough
to worry about.
231
00:15:37,660 --> 00:15:40,870
What the pilot sees
is that it's simply
like a television screen,
232
00:15:40,974 --> 00:15:43,218
and on that television screen
he has a map,
233
00:15:43,321 --> 00:15:46,600
and overlaid on top of that map
is a series of banded colours.
234
00:15:46,704 --> 00:15:48,637
If there's no rain,
he has a blank map;
235
00:15:48,740 --> 00:15:52,365
if there's lots of rain
and it's heavy, he has lots
of red squares on that.
236
00:15:52,468 --> 00:15:56,127
And that gives you an idea
of the intensity and location
of the rainfall.
237
00:15:57,163 --> 00:16:00,787
On board 56 Charlie,
the weather gets more intense.
238
00:16:00,890 --> 00:16:03,031
They begin to get pelted
by hail.
239
00:16:03,893 --> 00:16:05,930
Hey, where'd this come from?
240
00:16:06,551 --> 00:16:08,657
It's coming in
through the vent.
241
00:16:09,899 --> 00:16:13,282
It's like being
inside a beanbag
swamped by polystyrene balls.
242
00:16:13,386 --> 00:16:15,146
It's so thick.
243
00:16:15,388 --> 00:16:16,976
How come the engines
are still running?
244
00:16:17,079 --> 00:16:19,771
There can't be any air left
out there.
- No.
245
00:16:20,841 --> 00:16:22,602
Now another problem.
246
00:16:22,705 --> 00:16:24,984
We've got a hard-over
on the ice detector.
247
00:16:25,087 --> 00:16:28,780
- It's probably an ice pellet
stuck in the probe.
- Right.
248
00:16:28,884 --> 00:16:31,024
The helicopter
has an ice detector,
249
00:16:31,128 --> 00:16:34,200
a probe outside the craft
which is supposed
to tell the pilots
250
00:16:34,441 --> 00:16:36,064
whether there's ice
on the blades.
251
00:16:37,030 --> 00:16:40,861
But they think
it's become jammed with ice
and is giving a false reading.
252
00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:46,143
And then... disaster.
253
00:16:49,525 --> 00:16:52,563
- Bloody hell!
- What was that?
- Lightning. I saw it.
254
00:16:55,911 --> 00:16:58,672
This is bad.
There's something
very, very wrong with this.
255
00:16:58,776 --> 00:17:00,502
We'll have to go down,
I'm afraid.
256
00:17:01,020 --> 00:17:03,367
The helicopter
has been damaged,
257
00:17:03,470 --> 00:17:05,369
but they don't know how badly.
258
00:17:05,472 --> 00:17:08,096
The entire body is shaking
and vibrating.
259
00:17:08,199 --> 00:17:11,582
The crew's first instinct
is to get down
to a lower altitude
260
00:17:11,685 --> 00:17:14,930
in case the worst happens
and they fall out of the sky.
261
00:17:17,864 --> 00:17:20,970
Mayday! Mayday! 56 Charlie.
Lightning strike.
262
00:17:21,074 --> 00:17:22,903
Severe vibration.
263
00:17:23,870 --> 00:17:25,837
Mayday! Mayday!
264
00:17:26,666 --> 00:17:27,943
Forty kilometres away,
265
00:17:28,047 --> 00:17:31,153
another helicopter
is about to leave
an oil platform.
266
00:17:35,054 --> 00:17:39,403
Commander Brian Backhouse
is loading passengers
onto 56 Bravo,
267
00:17:39,506 --> 00:17:41,715
and preparing to fly back
to Aberdeen.
268
00:17:42,854 --> 00:17:44,615
That's everyone. All set.
269
00:17:44,718 --> 00:17:48,791
Suddenly the Loading Officer
hears Lionel Sole's Mayday call
on his radio.
270
00:17:48,895 --> 00:17:51,967
Mayday! Mayday!
56 Charlie. Lightning strike.
271
00:17:52,071 --> 00:17:55,108
Hear that Mayday, 56 Charlie?!
272
00:17:55,936 --> 00:17:59,043
Gentlemen, my apologies,
but we have to disembark you.
273
00:17:59,147 --> 00:18:01,701
We have an airborne emergency
on a sister aircraft.
274
00:18:02,529 --> 00:18:05,049
Backhouse hurriedly
unloads his passengers.
275
00:18:05,153 --> 00:18:06,913
He intends to help if he can.
276
00:18:09,467 --> 00:18:12,091
Meanwhile,
a gale is steadily building up,
277
00:18:12,194 --> 00:18:14,852
with winds in excess
of 70 km/h.
278
00:18:15,715 --> 00:18:17,337
The seas are mounting.
279
00:18:19,650 --> 00:18:24,310
The crew of 56 Charlie
are struggling to keep control
of their crippled helicopter.
280
00:18:25,207 --> 00:18:28,590
After the initial flash, though,
the situation hasn't got worse.
281
00:18:29,901 --> 00:18:33,560
The Grampian Freedom
is a standby ship
positioned near the oil rigs
282
00:18:33,664 --> 00:18:36,529
to give oil workers
a way to escape
if anything goes wrong.
283
00:18:36,632 --> 00:18:40,809
Her skipper, John MacInnes,
hears the helicopter's
distress call.
284
00:18:41,499 --> 00:18:44,882
We increased, uh,
the speed to full speed ahead.
285
00:18:45,986 --> 00:18:48,403
Everybody was informed
about the vessel,
286
00:18:48,506 --> 00:18:50,750
uh, and told to get ready,
287
00:18:50,853 --> 00:18:53,373
uh, for survivors
to be taken aboard.
288
00:18:54,719 --> 00:18:56,514
Back on the Bravo platform,
289
00:18:56,618 --> 00:19:00,656
what was a routine flight
for Brian Backhouse is about
to become a rescue mission.
290
00:19:01,278 --> 00:19:05,351
He intends to find
the stricken helicopter
and nurse it to safety.
291
00:19:06,628 --> 00:19:09,872
If it crashes into the sea,
he'll direct rescue ships
to the spot.
292
00:19:11,909 --> 00:19:13,773
But they're not sure
where to go.
293
00:19:14,498 --> 00:19:17,190
Let's go to the Gate
and proceed from there.
294
00:19:17,294 --> 00:19:19,399
At least they have
a starting point.
295
00:19:22,782 --> 00:19:25,612
The Grampian Freedom
doesn't know where to go,
either.
296
00:19:25,716 --> 00:19:29,582
They're getting
conflicting messages
about where 56 Charlie is.
297
00:19:30,514 --> 00:19:34,759
The helicopter's tiny size
and the rough seas
make it hard to find.
298
00:19:35,657 --> 00:19:39,281
On the damaged helicopter,
Commander Roberts briefs
the passengers.
299
00:19:39,385 --> 00:19:42,457
Gentlemen,
you are obviously aware
of the severe vibration.
300
00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,287
We've had a lightning strike.
So please, pull up your hoods,
301
00:19:45,391 --> 00:19:48,566
zip up your suits and prepare
for a possible ditching.
302
00:19:49,636 --> 00:19:51,190
Countless hours of training
303
00:19:51,293 --> 00:19:54,745
is supposed to have prepared
all on board
for a moment like this.
304
00:19:54,848 --> 00:19:57,679
In a real emergency,
how many will remember it?
305
00:19:59,646 --> 00:20:02,339
1,200 feet.
We're still flying.
306
00:20:02,442 --> 00:20:04,927
Let's try to make it
to Brae Alpha and land there.
307
00:20:05,997 --> 00:20:10,554
Their destination,
the Brae Alpha platform,
is now only 11 kilometres away.
308
00:20:11,382 --> 00:20:13,695
Three minutes have passed
since the explosion,
309
00:20:13,798 --> 00:20:16,284
and things don't seem
to be getting any worse.
310
00:20:16,870 --> 00:20:20,080
I'll just try
a few small inputs to make sure
everything's working.
311
00:20:21,081 --> 00:20:24,361
Yes, we've got control in pitch.
We've got control in roll.
312
00:20:26,708 --> 00:20:29,573
And we've got control in yaw.
313
00:20:29,676 --> 00:20:31,022
Tail rotor!!!
314
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:33,784
The helicopter is beginning
to spin round,
315
00:20:33,887 --> 00:20:36,752
a sure sign that something's
happened to the tail rotor.
316
00:20:37,684 --> 00:20:40,446
The only thing the pilots can do
to stop the spinning
317
00:20:40,549 --> 00:20:42,862
is to switch off
the main rotor blade.
318
00:20:43,483 --> 00:20:45,278
- Power off!
- Engines off!
319
00:20:45,382 --> 00:20:47,487
Ditching has become
inevitable.
320
00:20:57,739 --> 00:21:00,431
56 Charlie is falling fast.
321
00:21:00,535 --> 00:21:02,433
More than 600 metres a minute,
322
00:21:02,537 --> 00:21:05,367
with the main rotor acting
like a kind of parachute,
323
00:21:05,471 --> 00:21:08,577
the blades being turned
only by the air
that rushes through them.
324
00:21:10,441 --> 00:21:14,100
Mayday! Mayday!
Tail-rotor failure. Ditching.
325
00:21:14,342 --> 00:21:16,413
Brace for emergency landing.
326
00:21:16,516 --> 00:21:20,658
At this speed,
they're about 40 seconds
from hitting the North Sea.
327
00:21:22,798 --> 00:21:26,388
The other pilots in 56 Bravo
are searching in vain.
328
00:21:26,492 --> 00:21:30,565
There's no sign of 56 Charlie
in the sky or in the water.
329
00:21:34,707 --> 00:21:36,709
Then they hear
another distress call.
330
00:21:36,812 --> 00:21:40,540
Mayday! Mayday!
Tail-rotor failure! Ditching!
331
00:21:40,644 --> 00:21:42,784
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.
332
00:21:42,887 --> 00:21:44,579
Relaying for 56 Charlie.
333
00:21:44,682 --> 00:21:47,927
We have a suspected
tail-rotor failure.
He is ditching.
334
00:21:48,030 --> 00:21:51,448
Commander Backhouse
in 56 Bravo knows
that he is closest
335
00:21:51,551 --> 00:21:53,450
to the stricken helicopter.
336
00:21:53,553 --> 00:21:55,693
Everything depends on him.
337
00:21:55,797 --> 00:22:00,940
But he's not equipped to locate
the distress beacon 56 Charlie
will use when it ditches.
338
00:22:02,182 --> 00:22:06,048
All he can do is search
mile after mile of grey sea.
339
00:22:09,431 --> 00:22:11,330
Back on the Grampian Freedom,
340
00:22:11,433 --> 00:22:14,333
the crew begins searching
the sea, as well as the sky.
341
00:22:14,436 --> 00:22:17,957
But they know 56 Bravo
can cover ground more quickly
342
00:22:18,060 --> 00:22:20,787
than the enormous,
slow-moving ship.
343
00:22:20,891 --> 00:22:23,859
They do what they can
and wait for better directions.
344
00:22:23,963 --> 00:22:26,621
Floats! Floats!
I can't find the floats!
345
00:22:26,724 --> 00:22:29,796
- I got it! I got it!
Just keep it at trim angle!
- Right.
346
00:22:29,900 --> 00:22:33,800
The pilots of 56 Charlie
are about to attempt one of
the most difficult manoeuvres:
347
00:22:33,904 --> 00:22:37,666
ditching,
or landing in the middle
of the heaving sea.
348
00:22:39,185 --> 00:22:42,533
Floats under the helicopter
are meant to keep it
from sinking.
349
00:22:42,637 --> 00:22:44,673
If they're deployed too soon
before touchdown,
350
00:22:44,777 --> 00:22:48,919
the chopper may lose
what little stability it has,
and topple over.
351
00:22:50,817 --> 00:22:53,613
Too late, and they won't
inflate completely.
352
00:22:53,717 --> 00:22:57,790
Instead of riding the waves,
the helicopter will sink
below them.
353
00:22:57,893 --> 00:23:00,448
There's no second chance.
354
00:23:05,142 --> 00:23:06,626
They time it perfectly.
355
00:23:06,730 --> 00:23:08,559
We're down.
356
00:23:08,663 --> 00:23:10,216
Seems quite stable.
357
00:23:11,079 --> 00:23:14,565
They've landed safely,
but no one knows
if they will stay afloat.
358
00:23:16,533 --> 00:23:18,051
Helicopters are top-heavy,
359
00:23:18,155 --> 00:23:21,434
and they fear it could keel over
and sink at any moment.
360
00:23:23,609 --> 00:23:25,611
- Let's get outta here!
- Do the doors!
361
00:23:26,957 --> 00:23:28,786
They need to get
the life rafts out,
362
00:23:28,890 --> 00:23:30,995
inflate them
and board them quickly.
363
00:23:31,099 --> 00:23:33,515
They fear that if the helicopter
rolls over,
364
00:23:33,619 --> 00:23:35,172
it will trap them all inside.
365
00:23:36,691 --> 00:23:38,520
- Lift that end!
- Hold the rope!
366
00:23:41,696 --> 00:23:45,009
You go back
and help with the evacuation,
I'm gonna shut things down here.
367
00:23:45,113 --> 00:23:46,908
I'm gonna try
one last mayday call.
368
00:23:47,011 --> 00:23:49,151
But the evacuation
doesn't go smoothly.
369
00:23:50,463 --> 00:23:52,810
When they throw out
one of the life rafts,
370
00:23:52,914 --> 00:23:55,641
the strong wind blows it back
against the helicopter.
371
00:23:55,744 --> 00:23:59,438
They can't get into it.
- We can't get this one down!
Can we go out the other side?
372
00:23:59,541 --> 00:24:03,269
Better we all stay together
anyway!
Off you go! Go on, go on!
373
00:24:03,821 --> 00:24:06,134
Go!
Mayday! Mayday!
374
00:24:06,237 --> 00:24:10,759
56 Charlie.
We are on the water, floating,
manning the dinghy!
375
00:24:10,863 --> 00:24:12,968
He doesn't mention
their position.
376
00:24:13,210 --> 00:24:15,005
Make room, I said! Make room!
377
00:24:15,246 --> 00:24:17,559
The raft is dangerously
overloaded.
378
00:24:17,663 --> 00:24:21,736
There are 18 on board,
and it's only meant for 14.
379
00:24:21,839 --> 00:24:25,394
Water is already up
to their ankles, and rising.
380
00:24:26,775 --> 00:24:30,641
Once in the raft,
they have no way
of communicating where they
are.
381
00:24:32,609 --> 00:24:36,405
For the first time,
the pilots are able to see
what caused the disaster.
382
00:24:37,337 --> 00:24:40,409
The rear-rotor-blade assembly
and gearbox have broken off,
383
00:24:40,513 --> 00:24:43,240
and are hanging down the side
of the helicopter,
384
00:24:43,343 --> 00:24:45,622
held on
by just a couple of pipes.
385
00:24:45,725 --> 00:24:48,625
No one realizes it yet,
but in the rush,
386
00:24:48,728 --> 00:24:51,904
they've forgotten to bring
the distress beacon with them
from the helicopter.
387
00:24:52,732 --> 00:24:55,632
It sends out a signal
that can be picked up
by rescuers.
388
00:24:55,735 --> 00:24:59,290
Forgetting it could mean
the difference between life
and death.
389
00:25:00,533 --> 00:25:03,467
Two ropes attach the life raft
to the helicopter.
390
00:25:03,743 --> 00:25:06,194
They're meant to stop the raft
from drifting away,
391
00:25:06,297 --> 00:25:08,714
but they'll also drag them down
if the helicopter sinks.
392
00:25:08,817 --> 00:25:10,612
One of the passengers
has a knife.
393
00:25:10,716 --> 00:25:12,890
- Shall I cut the line?!
- No, not yet!
394
00:25:12,994 --> 00:25:16,791
We have a better chance
of being spotted if we're close
to the helicopter!
395
00:25:19,897 --> 00:25:21,416
Problems mount.
396
00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,626
The passengers are trying
to raise the canopy
to protect them,
397
00:25:24,730 --> 00:25:26,421
but it gets stuck.
398
00:25:26,525 --> 00:25:29,424
Without the canopy,
they're at the mercy
of the waves.
399
00:25:31,909 --> 00:25:34,740
And then the helicopter itself
becomes a danger.
400
00:25:36,258 --> 00:25:37,812
When the doors were jettisoned,
401
00:25:37,915 --> 00:25:40,780
they were supposed to be
designed to slip down
into the water and sink.
402
00:25:42,541 --> 00:25:45,336
Instead, one of them,
which has a jagged edge,
403
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,892
is floating on the surface
and is heading straight
for the raft.
404
00:25:55,554 --> 00:25:58,867
The life raft has been punctured
by the floating door.
405
00:25:59,903 --> 00:26:03,458
Come on, bail!
Bail with everything you got!
We're gonna sink!
406
00:26:03,562 --> 00:26:06,116
No, don't worry about it!
We're not gonna sink!
407
00:26:06,357 --> 00:26:10,223
We got double-layer rubber
tubes here filled with air!
It cannot sink!
408
00:26:10,327 --> 00:26:12,087
One wave and we're under!
409
00:26:12,329 --> 00:26:14,780
The pilots do their best
to put on a brave face.
410
00:26:14,883 --> 00:26:18,369
There are other helicopters
and ships out there!
They know we're down!
411
00:26:18,473 --> 00:26:19,992
They heard our mayday!
412
00:26:21,683 --> 00:26:25,238
The overloaded life raft
is getting lower and lower
in the water.
413
00:26:25,342 --> 00:26:27,586
Inside, it's already waist-deep.
414
00:26:27,689 --> 00:26:30,796
Now the pounding waves
are pushing them
beneath the sharp edges
415
00:26:30,899 --> 00:26:32,901
of the drooping
helicopter blades.
416
00:26:34,316 --> 00:26:37,388
We need to get some distance!
We'll have to cut the line!
417
00:26:39,183 --> 00:26:43,429
There are supposed to be
two safety lines connecting
the raft to the helicopter:
418
00:26:43,532 --> 00:26:45,431
one short, one long.
419
00:26:47,088 --> 00:26:49,055
But the long line is broken.
420
00:26:50,712 --> 00:26:53,473
The long line's been cut!
It's been shredded!
421
00:26:58,582 --> 00:27:00,584
You'll have to cut
the short one!
422
00:27:02,034 --> 00:27:05,313
The short line
is the only thing attaching
them to the helicopter.
423
00:27:05,416 --> 00:27:07,660
If they cut that,
they'll quickly drift away,
424
00:27:07,764 --> 00:27:10,525
a tiny raft full of men
at the mercy of the sea.
425
00:27:10,629 --> 00:27:12,423
But if they don't cut it,
426
00:27:12,527 --> 00:27:16,669
the jagged edges
of the helicopter could tear
their life raft to shreds
427
00:27:16,773 --> 00:27:18,464
and sink them all.
428
00:27:20,915 --> 00:27:23,607
Eighteen people have
scrambled aboard a life raft
429
00:27:23,711 --> 00:27:26,437
after their helicopter crashed
into the North Sea.
430
00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,509
The raft is overloaded.
431
00:27:29,613 --> 00:27:33,341
It's been punctured
by the jagged metal edges
of the helicopter door,
432
00:27:33,444 --> 00:27:35,792
and is getting lower and lower
in the water.
433
00:27:36,413 --> 00:27:38,622
They have to get away
from the helicopter.
434
00:27:40,831 --> 00:27:44,973
Flight Officer Lionel Sole
takes the fateful decision
and cuts the rope.
435
00:27:46,078 --> 00:27:48,390
They begin to drift away
into the storm.
436
00:27:49,081 --> 00:27:50,669
The conditions are deadly.
437
00:27:52,601 --> 00:27:55,604
Most of their survival suits
are leaking freezing water.
438
00:27:57,848 --> 00:28:00,057
For a person in the water,
hypothermia can begin
439
00:28:00,161 --> 00:28:04,924
when the temperatures of air
and water added together
is below 50 degrees centigrade.
440
00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:09,688
In the North Sea in winter,
the temperature
is far below that.
441
00:28:12,069 --> 00:28:15,003
Normal muscle
and brain functions
are quickly affected.
442
00:28:15,107 --> 00:28:16,729
The core body temperature
will sink,
443
00:28:16,833 --> 00:28:19,007
followed by unconsciousness
and death.
444
00:28:21,423 --> 00:28:23,356
Their chances of rescue
are slim.
445
00:28:23,460 --> 00:28:25,255
No one knows where they are.
446
00:28:25,462 --> 00:28:28,085
Just a tiny dot
on a vast, turbulent sea.
447
00:28:34,713 --> 00:28:36,922
Quiet, quiet!
I hear something!
448
00:28:37,992 --> 00:28:40,442
There's a helicopter!
449
00:28:42,824 --> 00:28:44,826
The men are desperate.
450
00:28:44,930 --> 00:28:46,863
This could be their last chance.
451
00:28:47,691 --> 00:28:49,693
Quickly!
452
00:28:49,797 --> 00:28:54,249
Pass me those flares!
The flares in the pocket
behind you!
453
00:28:54,491 --> 00:28:56,700
We need help!
454
00:29:00,566 --> 00:29:03,465
Here! Here! We're over here!
455
00:29:05,157 --> 00:29:06,848
But it's all in vain.
456
00:29:06,952 --> 00:29:08,885
The helicopter passes by.
457
00:29:11,819 --> 00:29:13,682
The men can't believe it.
458
00:29:13,786 --> 00:29:15,788
Their only hope is gone.
459
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:23,485
On 56 Bravo, Brian Backhouse
can see only grey seas.
460
00:29:24,521 --> 00:29:27,041
But suddenly,
his co-pilot spots something.
461
00:29:27,144 --> 00:29:29,146
Contact, right, 2:00.
462
00:29:30,009 --> 00:29:31,770
Okay. Roger.
Let's investigate.
463
00:29:44,748 --> 00:29:48,303
Target, contact.
Target confirmed. 56 Charlie.
464
00:29:48,407 --> 00:29:50,133
Standby for position report.
465
00:29:51,410 --> 00:29:52,825
Like a guardian angel,
466
00:29:52,929 --> 00:29:57,450
56 Bravo hovers directly above
the survivors for over an hour,
467
00:29:57,554 --> 00:30:01,558
directing rescue boats
and aircraft towards
this tiny speck in the ocean.
468
00:30:02,248 --> 00:30:05,286
He came in and hovered...
fairly close,
469
00:30:05,389 --> 00:30:08,876
because he wanted to count
the number of people
onboard the life raft.
470
00:30:08,979 --> 00:30:12,362
So for a while,
he was right over top of us
and blowing us around a bit.
471
00:30:12,465 --> 00:30:14,813
But as soon as he had gotten
the information he wanted,
he backed off,
472
00:30:14,916 --> 00:30:18,299
and he was just marking
the position
for the rescue craft to find us.
473
00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,752
First to arrive
is the Grampian Freedom.
474
00:30:25,685 --> 00:30:27,549
We had lookouts posted
all around the vessel,
475
00:30:27,653 --> 00:30:30,414
some on top of the bridge,
on each wing at the bridge.
476
00:30:32,002 --> 00:30:35,764
A helicopter came
and he started crossing our bow,
477
00:30:35,868 --> 00:30:38,871
which is not our procedure
in that kind of situation.
478
00:30:42,771 --> 00:30:44,739
Almost a mile away
from the raft,
479
00:30:44,843 --> 00:30:47,742
the Grampian Freedom launches
its fast rescue boat.
480
00:30:48,467 --> 00:30:50,779
The boat sets off at full speed
to the rescue.
481
00:30:51,815 --> 00:30:54,922
The rain and the waves
make finding the raft
difficult.
482
00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:02,619
- Hey, hey, hey, hey!
There's the boat!
- It's coming fast!
483
00:31:02,722 --> 00:31:05,518
No, no, no! Don't stick us!
484
00:31:05,622 --> 00:31:08,038
Relax, boys.
They know what they're doing.
485
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,558
Let's go! Quickly! Go!
486
00:31:10,972 --> 00:31:14,320
The rescue boat throws
a lifeline to the stranded men,
487
00:31:14,424 --> 00:31:16,736
and they begin
pulling themselves to safety.
488
00:31:17,841 --> 00:31:20,879
But there's another challenge
their training
hasn't prepared them for.
489
00:31:23,398 --> 00:31:26,574
We reached the, uh,
the standby boat.
490
00:31:26,677 --> 00:31:28,921
And you're looking at the hull,
a huge steel hull,
491
00:31:29,025 --> 00:31:31,337
you said,
"I'm never gonna get up there."
492
00:31:31,441 --> 00:31:34,754
But the crews are well-trained.
493
00:31:34,858 --> 00:31:38,275
They wait for the swells
to go up and down
at the right motions.
494
00:31:38,379 --> 00:31:42,452
And they have a large net
hanging down the side
of the boat,
495
00:31:42,555 --> 00:31:44,764
and they said,
"We're gonna come alongside,
496
00:31:44,868 --> 00:31:49,597
we'll be on top of the wave
and when we shout 'jump,'
you jump and grab the net.
497
00:31:49,700 --> 00:31:51,426
Don't look back,
'cause we'll be gone."
498
00:31:51,530 --> 00:31:54,084
We came alongside,
high up on the wave,
grabbed the net,
499
00:31:54,326 --> 00:31:56,604
the wave went back down,
they were away
and they pulled off,
500
00:31:56,707 --> 00:32:01,954
and we just climbed
the last few feet over the side,
onto the Grampian Freedom.
501
00:32:04,957 --> 00:32:06,441
Later that day,
502
00:32:06,545 --> 00:32:09,513
a rescue helicopter winches
up 14 of the survivors
503
00:32:09,617 --> 00:32:11,688
and flies them back to Aberdeen.
504
00:32:14,933 --> 00:32:19,109
Four of the men, however,
never want to travel
in a helicopter again,
505
00:32:19,351 --> 00:32:21,870
so they refuse to leave
the Grampian Freedom.
506
00:32:28,981 --> 00:32:31,087
They're in for ever more misery.
507
00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,366
They're buffeted
by a force-10 gale
508
00:32:34,469 --> 00:32:36,920
the whole of their long journey
back to Aberdeen.
509
00:32:44,824 --> 00:32:47,344
Through their skill
and against all the odds,
510
00:32:47,448 --> 00:32:51,452
Cedric Roberts and Lionel Sole
have saved the lives
of all onboard.
511
00:32:52,522 --> 00:32:55,559
I must admit, at the time,
I did think that was it,
we were gonna die.
512
00:32:55,663 --> 00:32:58,666
The whole world had changed
from being really good
513
00:32:58,769 --> 00:33:02,428
to being what I thought
was a complete disaster
at that time.
514
00:33:03,809 --> 00:33:06,536
It was the worst situation
I've ever been in, in the air,
515
00:33:06,639 --> 00:33:09,849
and I was very worried
that was gonna be it.
516
00:33:09,953 --> 00:33:13,508
But the day
after the accident,
they came under suspicion.
517
00:33:13,612 --> 00:33:16,649
Their report of what happened
starts being questioned.
518
00:33:16,753 --> 00:33:18,789
Lightning,
notionally at least,
519
00:33:18,893 --> 00:33:21,551
should not affect
a very powerful North Sea
helicopter.
520
00:33:21,654 --> 00:33:24,312
This is the first time
I can recall a lightning strike
521
00:33:24,416 --> 00:33:26,418
having ended up
with this kind of conclusion.
522
00:33:27,143 --> 00:33:29,731
The experts are skeptical
of the pilots' story.
523
00:33:31,457 --> 00:33:34,529
No other helicopter
is known to have crashed
into the North Sea
524
00:33:34,633 --> 00:33:36,083
because of lightning.
525
00:33:37,532 --> 00:33:39,845
Perhaps there had been
some mechanical failure.
526
00:33:39,948 --> 00:33:41,985
There are even whispers
of pilot error,
527
00:33:42,089 --> 00:33:44,884
of recklessly flying
into storm clouds.
528
00:33:46,714 --> 00:33:48,612
The evidence
to support their story
529
00:33:48,716 --> 00:33:51,374
was now beneath the waves
with 56 Charlie.
530
00:33:56,137 --> 00:33:58,415
The Air Accident
Investigation Branch,
531
00:33:58,519 --> 00:34:01,798
Britain's air-crash detectives,
begin searching for the truth.
532
00:34:04,732 --> 00:34:08,011
It may look like a rig,
but the Stadive
is actually a ship,
533
00:34:08,115 --> 00:34:11,083
mostly used for servicing
oil platforms.
534
00:34:23,992 --> 00:34:28,066
It has nine powerful engines
which keep it stable
in almost any weather.
535
00:34:30,827 --> 00:34:34,969
And it carries
miniature submarines
for underwater exploration.
536
00:34:36,212 --> 00:34:40,112
A day after the accident,
it's brought in to find
and raise the missing
helicopter
537
00:34:40,216 --> 00:34:42,114
from the bottom
of the North Sea.
538
00:34:42,977 --> 00:34:45,704
The investigation gets off
to a good start.
539
00:34:46,601 --> 00:34:50,536
Within a day,
the television cameras onboard
the Stadive's two submersibles
540
00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,677
locate what's left
of 56 Charlie on the seabed.
541
00:34:54,195 --> 00:34:56,611
But raising it
is a different matter.
542
00:35:07,933 --> 00:35:09,659
They carry on working
into the night.
543
00:35:09,762 --> 00:35:13,421
Soon, several pieces
of 56 Charlie
have been recovered,
544
00:35:13,525 --> 00:35:16,838
but still not the vital clue:
the missing tail rotor.
545
00:35:17,667 --> 00:35:20,566
Ed Trimble was the AAIB's
lead investigator.
546
00:35:22,499 --> 00:35:25,468
But the big problem
was to recover
the tail-rotor assembly.
547
00:35:25,571 --> 00:35:28,471
Without that, the investigation
was literally going nowhere.
548
00:35:28,574 --> 00:35:31,025
We knew
that the tail-rotor assembly,
549
00:35:31,129 --> 00:35:34,718
uh, had been dangling
over the side of the pylon
as the helicopter had ditched,
550
00:35:34,822 --> 00:35:36,893
and therefore had detached
at some point
551
00:35:36,996 --> 00:35:40,862
between the ditching
and where we had caught up
with the main wreckage.
552
00:35:42,347 --> 00:35:46,144
Keeping the Stadive going
would cost another
£20,000 a day.
553
00:35:47,628 --> 00:35:49,147
Ed Trimble rang his boss.
554
00:35:50,769 --> 00:35:52,874
He was fairly skeptical
of our chances.
555
00:35:52,978 --> 00:35:57,948
Uh, he asked what I thought
our chances were of finding the,
uh, tail rotor, and I,
556
00:35:58,052 --> 00:36:01,918
being an eternal optimist,
said, "80%,"
to which he replied:
557
00:36:02,021 --> 00:36:04,714
"I think you'd be very lucky
if you had a 10% chance
558
00:36:04,817 --> 00:36:07,303
of recovering the tail-rotor
assembly in the North Sea."
559
00:36:08,269 --> 00:36:09,719
Ed Trimble stays up all night,
560
00:36:09,822 --> 00:36:12,687
relentlessly monitoring
the underwater cameras.
561
00:36:15,621 --> 00:36:17,520
I didn't want to be
in a situation
562
00:36:17,623 --> 00:36:22,490
where we would've missed
any evidence of further wreckage
in a particular...
563
00:36:22,594 --> 00:36:24,837
any parts
of the tail-rotor assembly.
564
00:36:24,941 --> 00:36:26,701
Go get yourself a coffee,
Eddie.
565
00:36:26,805 --> 00:36:30,084
By the time, uh,
8:00 was looming,
566
00:36:30,326 --> 00:36:33,708
I decided to go down
to the galley to get a coffee.
567
00:36:33,812 --> 00:36:38,057
And I couldn't have been away
any more than maximum
seven to 10 minutes
568
00:36:38,299 --> 00:36:40,405
when I suddenly heard these...
569
00:36:40,508 --> 00:36:42,510
tremendously excited shouts
from our team.
570
00:36:42,614 --> 00:36:46,031
I did it! Yes! Eureka!
We found it!
571
00:36:47,274 --> 00:36:49,517
- Hold position!
- As I walked in, I ran in,
572
00:36:49,621 --> 00:36:51,830
there, smack in the middle
of the screen,
573
00:36:51,933 --> 00:36:53,728
was the whole
of the tail-rotor assembly.
574
00:36:53,832 --> 00:36:55,834
And even at the first glance,
575
00:36:55,937 --> 00:36:59,044
I could see that one
of the tail-rotor blades
showed clear evidence
576
00:36:59,286 --> 00:37:00,942
of a lightning strike.
577
00:37:02,012 --> 00:37:03,669
The crew was right.
578
00:37:03,773 --> 00:37:07,880
The submarine's cameras
reveal telltale burn marks
on the tail-rotor blade.
579
00:37:09,468 --> 00:37:11,746
A close look at the wreckage
on the deck reveals
580
00:37:11,850 --> 00:37:15,267
that two of the main rotor
blades were also struck
by lightning.
581
00:37:18,891 --> 00:37:21,687
But it's this tail rotor
that suffered the most damage.
582
00:37:22,964 --> 00:37:26,830
Since lightning is not known
to have forced a helicopter to
crash into the North Sea
before,
583
00:37:26,934 --> 00:37:29,523
the question is: Why now?
584
00:37:31,387 --> 00:37:34,493
Ed Trimble called in
lightning expert John Hardwick
585
00:37:34,597 --> 00:37:37,565
to discover just what had hit
56 Charlie.
586
00:37:39,567 --> 00:37:41,776
What we wanted to do
with this set of tests
587
00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:45,918
was to take a set
of tail-rotor blades
from the Super Puma helicopter
588
00:37:46,022 --> 00:37:50,647
and subject them
to varying energy levels
of simulated lightning strikes.
589
00:37:50,751 --> 00:37:53,512
The lightning objectives
at Culham
590
00:37:53,616 --> 00:37:57,551
basically were to try
and reproduce
591
00:37:57,654 --> 00:37:59,829
the degree of lightning damage,
592
00:37:59,932 --> 00:38:04,385
in order to identify
what kind of level of energy
was associated
593
00:38:04,489 --> 00:38:05,869
with this particular strike.
594
00:38:08,355 --> 00:38:11,703
This home video of the tests
was taken by Ed Trimble.
595
00:38:12,151 --> 00:38:15,500
Representatives of the company
that makes the Super Puma
were there too.
596
00:38:15,603 --> 00:38:18,813
Hardwick ran the blade through
several lightning strikes
597
00:38:18,917 --> 00:38:22,058
until he was able
to reproduce the damage
found on the rotor blade.
598
00:38:28,029 --> 00:38:32,137
To do it, he had to generate
a simulated strike
of enormous power.
599
00:38:32,931 --> 00:38:37,625
Something far more dangerous
than anyone thought the
helicopter would be exposed to.
600
00:38:40,041 --> 00:38:43,113
Something that wasn't supposed
to happen over the North Sea.
601
00:38:47,014 --> 00:38:48,981
There've been a few incidents
over the years.
602
00:38:49,085 --> 00:38:52,468
Minor strikes,
a little bit of damage
to the helicopter.
603
00:38:52,571 --> 00:38:55,747
But we never expected
anything as severe
as happened on that day.
604
00:38:56,886 --> 00:39:00,303
For one brief instant,
it was more
than all the electrical power
605
00:39:00,407 --> 00:39:02,857
being consumed
in the entire United States.
606
00:39:04,549 --> 00:39:06,516
Some 30-billion watts.
607
00:39:09,864 --> 00:39:13,592
And this enormous flash
of lightning had happened
over the North Sea,
608
00:39:13,696 --> 00:39:15,180
where, each year,
609
00:39:15,283 --> 00:39:18,804
almost three-million passengers
fly unsuspecting
to the oil platforms.
610
00:39:21,151 --> 00:39:23,361
The helicopters we fly
are certified
to the highest standards.
611
00:39:23,464 --> 00:39:27,019
It's the same as you'd get
on a major airline
that's flying transatlantic.
612
00:39:27,123 --> 00:39:30,506
So we had no reason to believe
that any lightning
that we encountered
613
00:39:30,609 --> 00:39:32,611
would do any severe damage
to the helicopter.
614
00:39:32,715 --> 00:39:34,855
Ordinary lightning wouldn't.
615
00:39:36,063 --> 00:39:37,582
But this wasn't ordinary.
616
00:39:42,345 --> 00:39:45,141
A lightning strike generates
a huge pulse of energy.
617
00:39:45,244 --> 00:39:46,798
We can detect
these pulses of energy
618
00:39:46,901 --> 00:39:51,458
via multiple transmitters
and receivers that are situated
throughout Europe.
619
00:39:51,561 --> 00:39:54,150
The information
is calibrated locally,
620
00:39:54,253 --> 00:39:56,290
and once the position
has been triangulated,
621
00:39:56,394 --> 00:39:58,741
that's passed to the Met Office
in London.
622
00:40:00,777 --> 00:40:02,261
When the records
were examined,
623
00:40:02,365 --> 00:40:04,402
they showed something
very peculiar.
624
00:40:04,505 --> 00:40:06,300
This is what they think
happened.
625
00:40:07,543 --> 00:40:09,372
Inside cumulonimbus clouds,
626
00:40:09,476 --> 00:40:12,686
tiny ice crystals
are swept upwards
by the wind currents.
627
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:15,551
At the top of the cloud,
where it's much colder,
628
00:40:15,654 --> 00:40:18,277
they combine with other crystals
to form hail.
629
00:40:18,933 --> 00:40:21,695
The hail, being heavy,
plummets back to Earth.
630
00:40:22,523 --> 00:40:26,562
On the way down, it hits
the rising water crystals,
causing friction.
631
00:40:27,355 --> 00:40:29,461
The crystals become
electrically charged.
632
00:40:30,186 --> 00:40:32,119
On that particular day,
633
00:40:32,222 --> 00:40:36,503
there was very little indication
that there was any significance
in these clouds.
634
00:40:36,606 --> 00:40:39,713
We're flying along,
everything just seemed
very normal.
635
00:40:41,231 --> 00:40:42,681
We went through what seemed
to us,
636
00:40:42,785 --> 00:40:46,547
by comparison
to what was around that day,
a fairly small cloud.
637
00:40:47,617 --> 00:40:52,104
But there was suddenly
a lot of snow and ice pellets
in the air.
638
00:40:52,208 --> 00:40:57,282
I've never seen as much
in the way of soft hail pellets
in my whole flying career.
639
00:40:57,385 --> 00:41:00,250
And the worrying thing
was that immediately we knew
640
00:41:00,354 --> 00:41:02,011
that obviously
there was a lot...
641
00:41:02,252 --> 00:41:04,669
a high level of energy
in that cloud
642
00:41:04,772 --> 00:41:07,119
to produce that amount
of soft hail,
643
00:41:07,223 --> 00:41:10,433
which also meant
there was a high chance
of there being lightning there,
644
00:41:10,537 --> 00:41:12,331
but by that time
it was too late.
645
00:41:13,505 --> 00:41:15,403
When a helicopter
enters the cloud,
646
00:41:15,507 --> 00:41:19,269
the sharp tips
of its whirling rotor blades
cut through these crystals,
647
00:41:19,373 --> 00:41:21,858
causing more friction,
more electricity,
648
00:41:21,962 --> 00:41:24,723
until it's all released
in a blinding flash.
649
00:41:28,934 --> 00:41:31,730
The records show that the flash
which hit 56 Charlie
650
00:41:31,834 --> 00:41:35,182
had been the only one recorded
over the North Sea that day,
651
00:41:35,285 --> 00:41:38,461
caused almost certainly
by the helicopter itself.
652
00:41:43,431 --> 00:41:47,574
However, for some reason,
nearly all the damage had been
confined to the tail rotor.
653
00:41:48,471 --> 00:41:51,750
What was it about the tail rotor
that had made it
especially vulnerable?
654
00:41:55,236 --> 00:41:57,860
Then Ed Trimble made
a remarkable discovery.
655
00:41:58,826 --> 00:42:02,761
When the Civil Aviation
Authorities certified
the Super Puma as safe,
656
00:42:02,865 --> 00:42:04,832
they had missed something
important,
657
00:42:04,936 --> 00:42:08,767
something which may have caused
56 Charlie to fall from the
sky.
658
00:42:13,531 --> 00:42:16,361
Safety investigators examine
the wreckage of a helicopter
659
00:42:16,464 --> 00:42:18,605
which crash-landed
in the North Sea.
660
00:42:19,847 --> 00:42:22,643
As they study
the ruined aircraft
more closely,
661
00:42:22,747 --> 00:42:24,818
they uncover the cause
of the accident.
662
00:42:27,614 --> 00:42:32,066
When the British Civil Aviation
Authority laid down
the lightning safety standards,
663
00:42:32,308 --> 00:42:34,275
they were looking
at fibreglass blades,
664
00:42:34,379 --> 00:42:36,830
then the normal material
for helicopter rotors.
665
00:42:38,866 --> 00:42:42,456
But in the 1980s,
plane-makers began using
the new composite materials,
666
00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:46,253
like carbon fibre,
which were lighter and
stronger.
667
00:42:46,356 --> 00:42:48,876
In particular, they began
making the rotor blades
668
00:42:48,980 --> 00:42:51,465
out of carbon fibre
instead of fibreglass.
669
00:42:52,949 --> 00:42:56,988
It was assumed
that the same standards would
apply equally to the new
blades.
670
00:42:57,747 --> 00:43:01,958
In the industry,
that's known as "read across,"
and it's very dangerous.
671
00:43:03,511 --> 00:43:08,827
In fact, it was the very design
of these composite blades
which brought down 56 Charlie.
672
00:43:11,416 --> 00:43:13,176
Although made of carbon fibre,
673
00:43:13,383 --> 00:43:17,802
composite blades have
a metal anti-erosion strip
glued on to protect the edge.
674
00:43:18,699 --> 00:43:20,459
That's where the trouble starts.
675
00:43:22,082 --> 00:43:23,911
Carbon is a conductor
of electricity,
676
00:43:24,015 --> 00:43:26,500
but it's a thousand times worse
than aluminium,
677
00:43:26,604 --> 00:43:29,365
so you get a thousand times
as much heat produced.
678
00:43:30,055 --> 00:43:32,713
The carbon blade
gets very, very hot.
679
00:43:33,369 --> 00:43:36,544
And when the current meets
the metal strip
running along the edge...
680
00:43:38,685 --> 00:43:41,446
...there is furious arcing
and sparking,
681
00:43:41,549 --> 00:43:44,829
until finally part
of the erosion strip explodes.
682
00:43:48,695 --> 00:43:52,560
As little as 100 grams
of the erosion strip flew off,
683
00:43:52,664 --> 00:43:54,252
but it was enough.
684
00:43:54,355 --> 00:43:57,013
Without its weight,
the rear rotor was unbalanced.
685
00:43:59,050 --> 00:44:02,398
That's what caused the vibration
felt onboard 56 Charlie
686
00:44:02,501 --> 00:44:04,711
immediately after
the lightning strike.
687
00:44:04,814 --> 00:44:08,784
Three minutes later,
when Lionel Sole tested out
the controls,
688
00:44:08,887 --> 00:44:12,373
the unbalanced blades
put the tail rotor
under enormous stress.
689
00:44:12,995 --> 00:44:15,307
The bolts holding it on snapped.
690
00:44:15,411 --> 00:44:18,966
- We've lost the tail rotor!
- Tail rotor's gone!
691
00:44:19,070 --> 00:44:22,521
It was like a blowout
in a car, only much, much worse.
692
00:44:22,625 --> 00:44:25,041
Things, at that point...
693
00:44:25,145 --> 00:44:27,009
were really very, very worrying.
694
00:44:27,112 --> 00:44:30,668
Uh, we both knew
what had happened.
We'd lost the tail rotor.
695
00:44:30,771 --> 00:44:33,636
And if you don't do exactly
the right thing at that point,
696
00:44:33,740 --> 00:44:38,779
your life expectancy
is very short, it's seconds.
We had to do the right thing.
697
00:44:39,711 --> 00:44:43,508
We managed to point it into wind
and there was quite a big sea
building up.
698
00:44:43,611 --> 00:44:47,063
And at 100 feet,
I pull back on the stick
to flare the helicopter...
699
00:44:48,858 --> 00:44:50,446
...slow down
its rate of descent,
700
00:44:50,549 --> 00:44:53,760
and we were very fortunate
at that point - a nice,
friendly wave came along -
701
00:44:53,863 --> 00:44:56,866
and as I levelled
the helicopter,
the wave came up,
702
00:44:56,970 --> 00:44:58,972
we sat on the top of it
and went down.
703
00:44:59,075 --> 00:45:01,043
It was one of the best landings
I've ever done,
704
00:45:01,146 --> 00:45:03,597
but that was luck
more than judgment.
705
00:45:04,771 --> 00:45:07,463
As bad as it was,
it could've been worse.
706
00:45:07,566 --> 00:45:11,812
The two hydraulic pipes
connecting the assembly
to the helicopter did not
break.
707
00:45:12,917 --> 00:45:16,092
These two small-diameter pipes
had held
708
00:45:16,196 --> 00:45:19,371
the mass of the gearbox
and tail-rotor assembly
709
00:45:19,475 --> 00:45:21,926
dangling over the right side
of the pylon.
710
00:45:22,271 --> 00:45:24,066
Without the weight
of the rotor assembly,
711
00:45:24,169 --> 00:45:26,206
the helicopter would've
tipped forward.
712
00:45:29,727 --> 00:45:32,833
Had that tail-rotor gearbox
and tail-rotor assembly
713
00:45:32,937 --> 00:45:35,698
completely separated
from the helicopter,
714
00:45:35,802 --> 00:45:38,390
then all 18 lives
would've been lost,
715
00:45:38,494 --> 00:45:42,394
because the helicopter would've
pitched down irrecoverably
716
00:45:42,498 --> 00:45:44,707
and gone into the North Sea.
717
00:45:46,053 --> 00:45:49,988
The investigators found
the answer to the mystery
of a helicopter crash,
718
00:45:50,092 --> 00:45:52,439
but they stumbled across
a bigger problem.
719
00:45:53,612 --> 00:45:55,787
One that affects
every air traveller.
720
00:45:56,305 --> 00:45:59,411
Investigators believe
that 56 Charlie's violent end
721
00:45:59,515 --> 00:46:01,517
was caused
by a savage lightning strike
722
00:46:01,620 --> 00:46:04,106
greater than anything
it was built to withstand.
723
00:46:06,108 --> 00:46:07,730
And when the lightning hit,
724
00:46:07,834 --> 00:46:11,699
it exposed a problem
in the carbon-fibre blades
that made them vulnerable.
725
00:46:12,355 --> 00:46:15,980
The tremendous heat created
where the carbon fibre met
the metal erosion strip
726
00:46:16,083 --> 00:46:17,705
could occur again.
727
00:46:19,673 --> 00:46:22,952
And the same type
of violent reaction
could hypothetically take place
728
00:46:23,056 --> 00:46:26,818
in any aircraft
that has carbon fibre
mixed with other materials.
729
00:46:28,958 --> 00:46:32,824
Increasingly,
aluminium is being replaced
with carbon fibre.
730
00:46:32,928 --> 00:46:37,553
The world's largest plane,
the A380 Airbus, for instance,
has over 20%.
731
00:46:39,210 --> 00:46:42,800
What will happen
if these planes encounter
a monster lightning strike?
732
00:46:46,217 --> 00:46:50,635
This was the investigators'
biggest concern arising
out of this Super Puma
accident.
733
00:46:51,878 --> 00:46:53,707
The findings were unexpected,
734
00:46:53,811 --> 00:46:55,882
and treated
with some skepticism.
735
00:46:57,055 --> 00:47:02,578
Though the tests indicated
that an unexpectedly large
lightning strike hit 56
Charlie,
736
00:47:02,681 --> 00:47:06,064
Britain's Civil Aviation
Authority refused to accept it.
737
00:47:07,790 --> 00:47:10,379
No action was taken to increase
the safety standards
738
00:47:10,620 --> 00:47:11,967
that these helicopters
must meet.
739
00:47:13,727 --> 00:47:16,972
I thought
that the reaction was poor.
740
00:47:17,973 --> 00:47:21,804
There seemed to be, uh,
a real reluctance...
741
00:47:21,908 --> 00:47:25,256
on their behalf
to accept the evidence.
742
00:47:26,084 --> 00:47:28,776
If Britain's
air-crash detectives are right,
743
00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:31,331
there is a real concern
facing air travellers.
744
00:47:32,090 --> 00:47:36,957
Flashes of lightning far greater
than aircraft are supposed
to encounter are possible,
745
00:47:37,061 --> 00:47:41,168
and aircraft made
of newer composite materials
are at increased risk.
746
00:47:42,825 --> 00:47:45,932
For the Super Puma, though,
the lessons have been learned.
747
00:47:46,035 --> 00:47:49,073
The design of the rotor blades
has been vastly strengthened.
748
00:47:50,074 --> 00:47:52,835
The erosion strips
are now secured
with heavy bolts.
749
00:47:53,663 --> 00:47:57,219
And the pilots have been
instructed to give storm clouds
a wider berth.
750
00:47:58,289 --> 00:48:02,396
The men who must fly
these machines to work are
prepared to accept the risks.
751
00:48:02,638 --> 00:48:04,847
Well, I think the morning
that we ditched,
752
00:48:04,951 --> 00:48:07,229
we were very, very fortunate,
753
00:48:07,332 --> 00:48:09,921
because the outcome
could've gone horribly wrong.
754
00:48:10,025 --> 00:48:12,751
But we survived. We got home.
755
00:48:13,994 --> 00:48:17,273
My feelings that morning was:
This could never happen to me.
756
00:48:17,377 --> 00:48:20,138
Now when I fly in a chopper,
especially in wintertime,
757
00:48:20,242 --> 00:48:22,589
if it's gonna be buffeted about
in the wind,
758
00:48:22,692 --> 00:48:26,800
I sometimes get
in the back of my mind:
This can't happen to me again.
759
00:48:26,904 --> 00:48:30,838
But we've all a choice.
We've all a choice
either to stop or we carry on.
760
00:48:30,942 --> 00:48:34,187
And I'm still there
25 years later,
still earning a living.
761
00:48:36,154 --> 00:48:39,123
The crash of 56 Charlie
was a hair-raising incident
762
00:48:39,226 --> 00:48:41,746
that could so easily have ended
in tragedy.
763
00:48:44,991 --> 00:48:46,820
In the winter of 1995,
764
00:48:46,924 --> 00:48:50,237
the skill
of Commander Ced Roberts
and Flight Officer Lionel Sole
765
00:48:50,341 --> 00:48:52,860
saved the lives
of their 16 passengers.
766
00:48:56,278 --> 00:48:59,281
Roberts and Sole receive
an award for their work.
767
00:49:01,455 --> 00:49:05,632
The Guild of Air Pilots
and Air Navigators recognized
their skill and bravery
768
00:49:05,735 --> 00:49:07,323
in the emergency landing.
769
00:49:08,807 --> 00:49:11,776
Although we received a number
of awards after the, uh,
770
00:49:11,879 --> 00:49:15,297
the incident, um,
from various organizations,
771
00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:18,645
one thing I received,
which is far more precious to me
than any of them,
772
00:49:18,748 --> 00:49:21,613
was from the daughters
of one of my passengers.
773
00:49:21,717 --> 00:49:25,514
It was this little card.
It says, "Dear Captain Roberts,
774
00:49:25,721 --> 00:49:30,415
I can't tell you
how much I need to thank you
after you saved my dad's life.
775
00:49:31,313 --> 00:49:35,489
It took a lot of effort
to try to keep calm
while you were falling.
776
00:49:35,731 --> 00:49:38,285
If you hadn't have got
that helicopter in control,
777
00:49:38,389 --> 00:49:40,943
my dad maybe
wouldn't be here today.
778
00:49:41,047 --> 00:49:43,394
Thank you very, very,
very much."
779
00:50:12,699 --> 00:50:14,701
difuze