THE gearbox in the Super Puma helicopter involved in the 2009 North Sea disaster had been in another aircraft that was hit by lightning.
The fatal accident inquiry into the deaths of the 16 people killed when Flight 85N fell like a “torpedo” into the water was told the strike had been considered as a possible factor in the crash.
Bond Offshore Helicopters’ former director of engineering also revealed he had not been told about a problem with the AS332 L2’s gearbox until after the tragedy.
James Gilmour told the third day of the inquiry at the Town House in Aberdeen: “Initially, we were looking at other threads like that the gearbox had been in an aircraft that had been hit by lightning.”
He said his first thought had been that there was a problem with one of the helicopter’s engines, which had recently been replaced.
Mr Gilmour also admitted he had not been aware that the helicopter had been subjected to extra checks in the days leading up to the crash.
“That’s the day-to-day work carried out in the hangar. I don’t get involved down to that level,” he said.
Earlier this week, the inquiry heard that the victims of the crash had been “laughing and joking” as they boarded the flight to head back to Aberdeen from BP’s Miller platform.