Introduction
On 25 March 2019, an Agusta Westland AW189 helicopter, registration G-OENC, was involved in a serious incident when it landed on the wrong platform in the Forties field, Northern North Sea. The aircraft was on a commercial air transport passenger flight with two crew and four passengers on board. No injuries or damage were reported.
History of the Flight
The pilots reported for duty to conduct a multi-sector flight carrying passengers and freight to platforms in the Forties field. The planned routing was Aberdeen/Dyce Airport – Forties Delta platform (40D) – Forties Alpha platform (40A) – Forties Bravo platform (40B) – Forties Echo platform (40E) – Aberdeen Airport. The operator had allocated the AW189 helicopter, G-OENC, to the flight.
During pre-flight planning, the pilots shared duties and discussed routing and payload. However, there was no detailed discussion about the similarity of the platforms or the possibility of misidentification. The pilots decided that the commander would act as pilot monitoring (PM) from the left seat, while the co-pilot would act as pilot flying (PF) from the right seat to gain experience.
Approach and Misidentification
While cruising at 3,000 ft, the PM contacted the Forties field on the logistics frequency to confirm routing and payloads. The pilots elected to make an early descent and transferred to the traffic frequency. At approximately 1,500 ft, they identified all platforms, including the destination 40D, with 40A in alignment behind. At about 500 ft and 15 nm from the platform, they performed approach checks.
Shortly afterward, the PF commented on the unusually elevated position of a crane on the Forties Charlie (40C) platform. The pilots discussed the crane's position and its implications for approach and landing. With under 5 nm to the destination, they completed landing checks but did not read the platform name on the helideck. While the PM was occupied with a radio call, the PF focused inside the cockpit and selected heading mode. Looking back outside, the PF turned left toward a platform he identified as the destination, but it was actually the 40C platform.
Recognizing the crane as a potential hazard, the PM requested the Helideck Landing Officer (HLO) of the 40D platform to stow it. The HLO advised that this would close the deck and cause a delay. The pilots discussed performance and decided to continue the approach and land.
Landing and Discovery
Once established on final approach, the commander took over as PF and landed on the helideck of the 40C platform. After completing landing checks, no deck crew approached the helicopter. The pilots then noticed the “Forties Charlie” name on the helideck, realizing they had landed on the wrong platform.
They informed the 40D platform of the error and requested a helideck crew to muster for safety checks and fire cover. They also requested repositioning of the crane. After briefing passengers and completing deck turnaround checks, they continued to the 40D platform.
Organizational Information
The operator has a single contract for the AW189, resulting in a small group of pilots who regularly fly to the Forties field, often multiple times daily. The operator subsequently issued a safety notice and a Flying Staff Instruction amending guidance on avoidance of wrong deck landings.
Recorded Information
The flight duration caused the cockpit voice recorder to be overwritten. Flight data from the quick access recorder allowed the flight path to be recreated.
Meteorology
At the time of the incident, visibility was good with medium-level cloud. Wind direction was 320°T at 22 kt.
Personnel
The commander held an Airline Transport Pilot's Licence, age 49, with 14,000 total flight hours (600 on type) and 16 hours in the last 90 and 28 days. He had recently returned from a period of absence and completed return-to-work training. The co-pilot had over eight years of offshore North Sea experience.