Families who lost relatives in a North Sea helicopter disaster will today find out if their questions about the tragedy have been answered by a six-week fatal accident inquiry.
Sheriff Principal Derek Pyle will publish his findings almost five years after the aircraft crashed while ferrying workers back to Aberdeen from the BP Miller platform.
Two pilots and 14 passengers died when the Bond-operated Super Puma AS332 L2 plunged into the sea.
Tom Marshall, lawyer for 13 of the bereaved families, said at the conclusion of the inquiry at Aberdeen’s town house in February that the accident could have been avoided, and described the lengthy wait for answers as “unacceptable”.
Mr Marshall also said the actions of regulators, the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau and Civil Aviation Authority should not be beyond scrutiny.
Police gathered more than 600 statements and 2,000 documents during their investigation.
The families will meet the media this morning, alongside representatives of the RMT and Unite trade unions, to offer their reaction to the findings.
Last night, RMT regional organiser Jake Molloy said: “I would hope that some of the many questions that have lingered for almost five years now are finally answered for the families. Perhaps the sheriff might make a recommendation which will bring this never-ending nightmare to a close for the families, in the form of a recommendation to the Lord Advocate on the procurator fiscal’s decision not to hold someone to account.”
Pilots Paul Burnham, 31, of Methlick, and Richard Menzies, 24, of Droitwich Spa in the Midlands, died when the helicopter ditched on April 1, 2009.
Also killed were Brian Barkley, 30; James Costello, 24; Alex Dallas, 62; and Vernon Elrick, 41, all of Aberdeen; Stuart Wood, 27, of Newmachar; Warren Mitchell, 38, of Oldmeldrum; Leslie Taylor, 41, of Kintore; Raymond Doyle, 57, of Cumbernauld; James Edwards, 33, of Liverpool; Nairn Ferrier, 40, of Dundee; Nolan Goble, 34, of Norwich; Gareth Hughes, 53, of Angus; David Rae, 63, of Dumfries; and Mihails Zuravskis, 39, from Latvia.
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