What happened
On the evening of July 16, 2002, a Sikorsky S-76A helicopter bearing the registration G-BJVX was engaged in a routine commercial operation. The aircraft was operated by Bristow Helicopters and departed from Norwich to serve offshore installations in the southern North Sea. At the time of the incident, the crew was undertaking a brief ten-minute transit between the Clipper gas production platform and the Global Santa Fe Monarch drilling rig.
During this short leg of the journey, the helicopter lost contact with air traffic control and crashed into the sea. There were no survivors. All 11 people on board, comprising both crew members and passengers, perished in the accident. The aircraft was scheduled to return to Norwich Airport following the completion of its offshore duties.
Investigation
The available source material does not provide specific details regarding the technical findings or the official conclusions reached by the investigating authorities concerning the mechanical or operational causes of the crash.