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| Date: | Wednesday 20 March 1985 |
| Time: | 10:35 |
| Type: |  Sikorsky S-61N |
| Owner/operator: | Okanagan Helicopters |
| Registration: | C-GOKZ |
| MSN: | 61164 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1962 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 17 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | off Owl's Head, Nova Scotia -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | MODU Sedco 709 |
| Halifax (YHZ) | |
| Investigating agency: | CASB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
While en route from the offshore oil rig SEDCO 709 to Halifax Airport, the crew of the S61 helicopter noted that the main transmission oil pressure was decreasing and that the torque indication had dropped to zero. As the oil ‘pressure continued to decrease, the pilot decided to carry out a controlled ditching in the Atlantic Ocean about six miles from land. After the helicopter was ditched, all 17 occupants boarded two life-rafts and were rescued by Canadian Forces helicopters about one hour later.
The Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB) determined that a tee fitting in the emergency lubrication system failed, thus allowing all the inain transmission gearbox oil to be pumped overboard. The exposure suffered by some of the occupants was due to deficiencies in the immersion suits and the inadequate thermal protection of their undergarments.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.pprune.org/
WAAS
http://aerossurance.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/canadian-s61-ditching-CGOKZ-photographer-unknown.png
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 1 September 2022 | N617CK | Croman Corporation | 0 | near Shady Cove, OR |  |
sub |
| Logging | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Feb-2013 03:06 | TB | Added |
| 11-Feb-2016 10:29 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 20-Mar-2017 15:20 | Jmanuge | Updated [Time, Nature, ] |
| 04-Mar-2025 15:03 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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