Investigators have raised safety concerns after the discovery of a gearbox failure on a CHC helicopter in Aberdeen after a “crunching sound” was heard.
A report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the problem, found last year on an accessory gearbox while the H175 helicopter was still on ground, would have constituted a “major” safety failing had it been during a flight.
Both CHC and AAIB underlined that the failure would not have led to a loss of control of the aircraft, but would have required pilots to land “as soon as possible”.
The AAIB said it would have led to a “significant erosion of safety margins” during a flight.
