ATSB details night approach mode-awareness incident on PHI Sikorsky S-92A

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has published findings on an incident involving a PHI International Sikorsky S-92A helicopter, registration VH-IPE, during a night approach to the Transocean Endurance mobile drilling unit off Western Australia.

The event happened on 1 February 2025, about 38 nautical miles north-northwest of Exmouth. The helicopter descended to as low as 191 feet above the sea during the approach, according to the ATSB report, issued on 4 February 2026.

The flight was a routine night recency exercise that departed Exmouth shortly before last light. Offshore transport flights from Exmouth normally operate only in daylight, with crews kept on standby overnight for medical evacuations.

The report set out the experience levels of both pilots. The aircraft commander had logged 10,240 total flight hours, including 1,100 at night, with 299 hours on the S-92A type but only 13 of those at night. The co-pilot had 5,360 total hours, 1,240 at night, and 224 hours on type, of which nine were flown at night. Both pilots had prior experience flying the Leonardo AW109 on marine pilot transfer duties. Their limited S-92A night hours came largely from simulator sessions and initial supervised helideck landings completed in late 2024.

The investigation noted that the operator's rostering policy for minimum crew experience followed guidance from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers regarding offshore helicopter operations, which recommends thresholds for co-pilot experience on multi-engine offshore types.

The ATSB report focuses on questions of mode awareness during the approach. The extract does not specify the ultimate cause determination or any resulting recommendations.