From rescue to recovery Operations change focus as final hopes fade for survivors MOIRA BAIRD AND PETER WALSH The Telegram

Mike Cunningham (right), the lead Transportation Safety Board (TSB) investigator in the Cougar helicopter crash investigation, and fellow TSB investigator Charles Laurence speak to reporters in St. John's Friday on the TSB's role in finding out what happened to the helicopter. - Photo by Joe Gibbons/The Telegram

As daylight faded Friday evening so did the last hope of rescuing more survivors of the Sikorsky helicopter that ditched in the ocean 55 kilometres east of St. John's.

The search for the 16 missing people aboard Cougar Helicopters Flight 91 is now officially a recovery mission and not a rescue mission.

"Right now, we have the one confirmed survivor that was recovered (Thursday)," Maj. Denis McGuire, of the coast guard's joint rescue co-ordination centre said.

"As of this time, there are no other persons that we've located whatsoever, so it appears that there are no survivors."

The search and rescue operations officially ended 7:30 p.m. Friday, after covering 1,200 square nautical miles of ocean.

Another Cougar helicopter rescued the sole survivor, Robert Decker, and recovered the body of another passenger at the crash site Thursday morning.

The helicopter, carrying 18 people including two flight crew, was en route to the Hibernia platform and the White Rose production ship when it experienced technical problems. It crashed while trying to return to St. John's.

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) now leads the recovery operation - and that includes trying to raise the sunken helicopter fuselage from the bottom of the ocean.

"I'm thinking a matter of a week, maybe - and I'm hoping even less," said Mike Cunningham, lead investigator for the TSB.

"We'll be proceeding as rapidly as we can."

But, first, the agency will inspect the helicopter.

This could begin as early as today with the arrival at the crash site of six TSB investigators aboard the offshore support vessel Atlantic Osprey. It's on loan from Husky Energy.

Equipped with two underwater ROVs (remote operated vehicles), that ship will be used in the recovery efforts.

The ROVs will survey the helicopter with cameras and send images to the ship.

They will tell investigators whether or not the fuselage, which lies in water depths of 120 metres, is intact.

"From there, the technical experts in recovery will start to decide what is the most efficient way we can raise it," said Cunningham.

"We have to be able to raise it and not compromise that structural integrity. It will require ... some analysis and some time and, hopefully, some patience to do it properly."

Lifting devices, such as balloons, could be used to raise the helicopter.

"We don't want, again, the integrity of the machine to be compromised as we lift it," Cunningham said.

"This helicopter is full of water now, so it's quite heavy and it's not designed to be lifted full of water. It's designed to fly through the air."

The pilot of the Sikorsky S-92A declared a mayday Thursday "due to a main gearbox oil pressure problem," according to a Transport Canada aviation database.

Cunningham said it's too early draw any conclusions.

"Even when you get information like that early on, I mean we don't latch onto something like that and to draw any conclusions from that.

"We just don't close off any trails until we're perfectly satisfied we can."

The TSB investigation will have three phases.

The first phase - which begins today - could last two or three weeks as investigators gather all the data, including inspection reports, modification reports and crew records.

As well, they will gather the cockpit voice recorders, the aircraft's black box, radar data and wreckage to try to draw an accurate picture of events leading up to the crash.

"We learn things from everything," said Cunningham.

Debris collected from the crash site, including paperwork, personal items and pieces of plastic, will also be turned over to the TSB.

The second phase is analyzing the data, debris and the helicopter fuselage. The last phase is putting together an investigation report.

Cunningham said the TSB won't wait until that report is completed to publicize any problems it finds.

"We do identify safety deficiencies as soon as they come up in the course of the investigation."

The TSB has a team of 20 investigators in St. John's - 12 from Canada, the rest from the U.S.

Among them is an expert in underwater recovery, along with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator and technical advisers from the helicopter manufacturer.

Cunningham said the TSB gained underwater recovery expertise during the Swissair crash off Nova Scotia in 1998.

On Friday morning, Cunningham and other TSB officials briefed the families of the passengers and crew who are presumed dead.

"Beginning (Saturday) we've committed to brief the families twice a day," he said.

"The Transportation Safety Board is here primarily to do our job in support of the families and in support of the operator and the people that need to understand how these terrible events occurred."

Husky is covering flight and hotel expenses for family members who have arrived in St. John's to await news.

"All the services will continue until the needs of the families are satisfied," said Trevor Pritchard, general manager of operations for Husky.

"When they feel like it's the right time to disperse back, we've agreed, between the families and myself, to have a two-way communication such that they can call in at any time. I don't want people to get frustrated."

The intensity of the last few days has created a bond between family, rescuers and company officials.

"We've gotten very close to the families," said Cougar Helicopter's Rick Burt.

"We've seen their hearts. And they've expressed a close concern about how we're feeling. However, we've just continued to be focused on them."

Husky also says 14 employees aboard the production ship SeaRose are coming ashore.

They're travelling via supply ship, because Cougar Helicopters has grounded its three remaining Sikorsky S-92As.

"The crews are distressed, as many of us are," Pritchard said.

"In the meantime, the manager on board is collectively having town hall addresses and giving information out as best he can.

"(Thursday), we were basically tools down."

Oil production at the White Rose oilfield is continuing.

The names of the 16 passengers and crew presumed dead and identity of the recovered body have not been released.

"We're not in a position just yet to release the information until we consult with the families and have their permission to release the names," said RCMP Sgt. Wayne Newell.

The RCMP may release the names during a news conference scheduled for today.

mbaird@thetelegram.com pwalsh@thetelegram.com

CRASH CHRONOLOGY

Here's a brief timeline of the events of March 12 when Cougar Helicopters flight 91 crashed into the ocean.
9:40 a.m. - Mayday call from the Cougar Helicopters flight.
9:48 a.m. - Helicopter ditches in the Atlantic 55 kilometres east of St. John's.
10 a.m. - Transportation Safety Board notified.
10:12 a.m. - Provincial Airlines ice patrol plane arrived and saw the helicopter inverted in the water.
10:34 a.m. - Canadian Forces C-130 Hercules airplane arrived at the scene.
11:10 a.m. - Cougar 61 arrived on scene, and shortly after hoisted survivor Robert Decker out of the water. Cougar flight 91 was no longer in sight.
11:28 a.m. - The first Cormorant rescue helicopter arrived at the crash scene.
Source: Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre