Unite has dismissed the preliminary results of an ongoing investigation by Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) into the cause of the Super Puma helicopter crash off the Shetland coast in August.
The AAIB has published a report detailing the recorded data downloaded from the Combined Voice and Flight Data Recorder (CVFDR) following the crash, which left four people dead and one seriously injured.
A preliminary analysis of the data has produced no evidence of a casual technical failure, according to the AAIB.
However, Unite has said that despite this analysis, no further information has been provided by AAIB as to why the Super Puma submerged so quickly upon impact.
Unite Scottish secretary, Pat Rafferty, said: “The AAIB report does nothing to alleviate offshore workers fears about the safety of the Super Puma fleet, nor does it provide any further detail into why four people could not escape the crash with their lives.
“Unite believes the industry and authorities are missing the point: it’s not about whether the Super Puma fleet is airworthy, more urgently it’s a question of whether they are fit for the safe transportation of people to and from offshore installations.
“We can’t afford to wait on the AAIB final report — which could take months — to start the process of urgent reform in offshore health and safety.”
The AAIB is continuing to examine the CVFDR data and helicopter wreckage.
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