Terry Hutson
A SENIOR crew member of the Liberian-registered coal ship Ambassador died last week when he walked into the tail rotor blades of Portnet's helicopter as it was delivering the ship's pilot.
The ship had arrived off the port to load export coal when Portnet's twin-engined Agusta helicopter, which has operated flawlessly for a number of years, landed on the ship's helipad to disembark the Portnet pilot.
Although full details are as yet unknown and the matter has immediately become the subject of an official investigation involving the SA Police Services, the Department of Transport, Portnet, SA Maritime Safety Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority, it appears that the ship's third officer, a Filipino, walked apparently by accident into the tail rotor blades. The aircraft crew had not seen the man approach and the first they knew something was amiss was when they felt the helicopter shudder.
The tail rotor blades have been badly damaged and the ship later entered port with the Agusta still on the deck. Portnet immediately switched over to using the standby pilot boat. The ship's agents, Inchcape, have declined to comment other than to say the matter is in the hands of their attorneys.
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