Triggered Lightning - North Sea ops grounded

[CharlieOneSix]

I wondered why no helicopters flew from Aberdeen yesterday. Extreme caution is the action of the day since Bristow lost a Tiger in the 90s when a lightning strike hit the tail rotor and the tail rotor gearbox detached from the aircraft resulting in a successful ditching. That was the subject of a TV documentary. Interesting that "Triggered Lightning" is only known to occur in the Sea of Japan and the North Sea. Also interesting to see that a co-pilot from my day is now Head of UK Flight Operations! Good for him.

From the Aberdeen Press & Journal today:
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[FD2]

We started to be restricted and made to keep far away from any thunderstorm activity back over 20 years ago. I think it may have been a result of the G-BJVX crash. Fascinating that the triggered lightning is only known to happen off Japan and the North Sea. I once touched a strop that I thought had been earthed but hadn't properly and got a good belt as the aircraft's static charge discharged through me. That must have been a hairy moment to lose the tail rotor gearbox and get away with it.

Although it was caused by a manufacturing error in one of the main rotor blades, a strike caused the later failure of that blade after if had been back to the States for checking and returned to service months later as serviceable. The only way of detecting the problem would have been by X-ray, which wasn't done. The G-BJVX accident was the result.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... nnexes.pdf