Super Puma Against The Weather

What was the primary purpose of Super Puma 56 Charlie’s flight on January 19, 1995?Deliver equipment to an oil rig

• Deliver equipment to an oil rig

• Conduct a training mission

• Transport Marathon Oil workers to Bray Alpha platform

• Perform a search and rescue operation

Why did the helicopter disappear from radar during its flight to the oil platform?

• The radar system malfunctioned

• It crashed before reaching the destination

• It flew into a radar blind spot due to Earth's curvature

• The transponder was turned off

What weather condition did the crew encounter unexpectedly during the flight?

• A sandstorm

• Severe clear-air turbulence

• A line of cumulonimbus clouds

• A tornado over the sea

What initial clue suggested something was wrong after the lightning strike?

• The radar stopped working

• The ice detector failed

• The helicopter began to vibrate severely

• The GPS malfunctioned

What failed on the helicopter, making ditching in the sea inevitable?

• The main rotor

• The landing gear

• The tail rotor

• The The altimeter rotor

What prevented the crew from using the life raft effectively at first?

• It was damaged during the crash

• It inflated upside down

• Strong winds blew it back against the helicopter

• They forgot to bring it aboard

What critical piece of survival equipment was left behind during the evacuation?

• The emergency locator transmitter (ELT)

• The flare gun

• The raft canopy

• The navigation radio

What did the investigators eventually find that confirmed the pilots' account of the crash?

• A flight data recorder showing a mechanical failure

• The tail rotor with burn marks from lightning

• The weather radar images from the flight

• An audio recording of the lightning strike

What key design flaw contributed to the tail rotor failure after the lightning strike?

• Weak aluminum structure

• Carbon fiber blades with metal erosion strips

• Inadequate weather radar system

• Poor battery backup for avionics

What long-term concern did investigators raise after the crash?

• Pilots needed more lightning avoidance training

• Carbon fiber aircraft materials may be unsafe under extreme lightning

• Helicopters should not fly in winter

• The need to ground all Super Puma helicopters