TWO pilots have been suspended and an investigation launched after a North Sea helicopter landed on the wrong oil rig.
The Bond-operated S-92 helicopter with one passenger on board had been set for the Buzzard platform about 60 miles north of Aberdeen but instead it made an unscheduled landing on the Nexen-operated Ensco 120 jack-up rig about nine nautical miles away.
Bond confirmed two employees had been removed from the flight roster while an investigation takes place.
One concerned oil worker said: “When this chopper landed on the rig the radio operator called the helicopter and said ‘can we help you?’. They replied ‘we appear to have landed on the wrong rig’.
“Most helicopter accidents occur on approach or departure you must have a crew on the rig ready to receive the helicopter and a standby boat there to offer help if needed.
“When a chopper is approaching a rig you are not allowed to move cranes the rig was fully operational with cranes working.
“Most of the time the crane operator is the helicopter landing officer so that takes care of the problem.”
The aircraft, which can carry up to 19 passengers, is understood to have left Aberdeen Airport at 5.30pm on Friday. It made a number of scheduled landings before arriving at the Ensco 120 rig at 7pm.
The oil worker added: “Lives have been put at risk because of this it’s unbelievable that in this day and age they could have got this so wrong.”