Shetland Super Puma crash: Escape training 'saved my life'

Matthew Bower said he escaped the helicopter in about 10 seconds

One of the survivors of a helicopter crash off Shetland which left four people dead has said simulation training saved his life.

Matthew Bower told the second day of an inquiry into the 2013 crash that he had been asleep, but woke up shortly before the helicopter hit the water.

He said the Super Puma overturned then started filling with water.

Mr Bower said his training "kicked in" and he was able to escape from the submerged aircraft in about 10 seconds.

Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin; Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland; and George Allison, 57, from Winchester, drowned after the crash in 2013.

Gary McCrossan, 59, from Inverness, died from heart failure.

The fatal accident inquiry also heard that one of the survivors, Samuel Bull, later took his own life in 2017 after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is understood he was 28.

• Fatal helicopter crash pilot 'will not fly again'

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Derek Pyle, Sheriff Principal of Grampian, Highland and Islands, said: "It's important to record that there was another victim apart from the four who died on the day.

"His death was plainly directly caused by the accident."

The four passengers who died were among 18 people who were on board the Super Puma when it crashed.

Mr Bower, 31, told the inquiry he was sitting directly behind the pilots, facing towards the rear of the helicopter.

He said he had fallen asleep, but when he woke he saw Sarah Darnley diagonally from him looking "particularly panicked".

Mr Bower said: "It was quite clear she was worried about something."

He said the sea out the window was "significantly closer than expected" and then it was clear they were falling.

He said the sea was coming towards them too quickly, and it felt as if the helicopter lurched to one side, and they hit the water at an angle and it instantly went over.

Mr Bower said going into the brace position was "instinctual".

'A lot of shock'

He said the helicopter was instantly filling with water. "This is when your training kicked in," he recalled.

Upside down, he knocked his window out, opened his buckle, and swam to the surface.

He said from reacting and getting to the surface was probably only 10 seconds.

"There was a lot of shock", he said.

Mr Bower said he then helped with chest compressions on Gary McCrossan in a life raft as they tried to save him, until help arrived.

Four people lost their lives in the crash in the 2013 crash

Mr Bower said everyone had to undergo safety training for working offshore.

Pool training simulation included several runs including leading up to escaping from a complete invert, he said.

Asked by Martin Richardson for the Crown if it was helpful, chemist Mr Bower said: "It saved my life on that day."

Fellow survivor Mark Martin was an offshore construction supervisor at the time.

He said modern-day safety training was a "joke" compared to his past experiences.

'Pretty scathing'

Mr Martin said he had found a pocket of air after the crash, and got a slight bit of air before managing to escape.

He said he had worked offshore all his life, but had not really been employable since the crash due to his mental health.

Sheriff Principal Pyle noted that Mr Martin had been "pretty scathing" about submersible training, and he said training had to be more realistic.

Paul Sharp, who also escaped, said he still had "nightmares" about what happened.

He remembered hearing screaming, and thinking he was going to die.

Mr Sharp said training simulations should have more force, to recreate the reality of impact.

Pilot's trauma

He tried flying offshore once more, but when he came back he said he was never going again.

The first day of the inquiry had heard that the helicopter's pilots did not notice their reducing airspeed until it was too late.

The inquiry heard the commanding pilot, Martin Miglans, said he would never fly again due to the trauma.

No evidence was found of a fault with the helicopter which had caused or contributed to the crash.

The inquiry, which was previously delayed due to coronavirus measures, continues.