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Norway confirms cause of fatal Airbus helicopter crash in 2016

The fatal crash of an Airbus helicopter in Norway last year was the result of metal fatigue in the aircraft's gearbox, the country's Accident Investigation Board (AIBN) said in a report on Friday, confirming its initial findings.

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The fatal crash of an Airbus helicopter in Norway last year was the result of metal fatigue in the aircraft's gearbox, the country's Accident Investigation Board (AIBN) said in a report on Friday, confirming its initial findings.

All 13 people on board were killed when the Super Puma's main rotor blades separated from the aircraft as it was ferrying passengers from a Norwegian offshore oil platform operated by Statoil in April 2016. The flight was operated by Canada-based CHC Helicopter, owned by U.S. private equity firm First Reserve.

"The investigation has shown that the accident was a result of a fatigue fracture in one of the eight second-stage planet gears in the epicyclic module of the main rotor gearbox," the investigators said in a report released on the first anniversary of the accident.

"The crack initiation appears to be a surface micro-pit," it added.

AIBN said the reason was unclear and no material conformity issues or discrepancies in the manufacturing process had been found during the investigation.

The main rotor gearbox had been involved in a road accident during its transportation in 2015. It was inspected, repaired and installed 260 flight hours prior to the accident, the report said.

However, the investigators said that they had found no physical evidence that could connect the road accident to the subsequent initiation and growth of the fatigue cracks in the gearbox.

The AIBN said it would continue to investigate the accident, similar to one in Scotland in 2009, but it could not provide any completion date.

The European Aviation Safety Authority temporarily grounded H225 LP and AS332 L2 Super Puma helicopters last year after the AIBN's report in June.

Norway and Britain still have flight bans in place.

The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said on Friday it would not lift the ban for the time being but would consider its next step in May.

"The Civil Aviation Authority will not lift the aircraft ban until we are completely confident that the helicopter types are safe to fly," the authority's head Lars Kobberstad told Reuters.

 

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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