The brother of an offshore worker who died in a North Sea helicopter crash has renewed the call for the aircraft’s operator to be prosecuted.
Nolan Goble, 34, from Norwich, was among 16 men who died when a Super Puma helicopter operated by Bond Offshore crashed into the sea off the Aberdeenshire coast on April 1, 2009.
The two pilots and 14 workers died after the ASS32-L2 suffered a catastrophic gearbox failure as it returned from BP’s Miller platform.
Speaking outside an inquest held into Mr Goble’s death, his brother Bob, above, claimed English law would not have allowed such a disregard for health and safety. But last night, the Crown Office insisted the decision against pursuing criminal prosecutions had been the correct one.
At the inquest in Norwich, coroner Jacqueline Lake recorded a narrative verdict and said Mr Goble had died of multiple injuries in the crash.
Bob Goble said: “They knew there was a problem with the helicopter and decided to fly anyway.
“In England, you just wouldn’t see that kind of disregard for health and safety go unpunished but it seems the law is different in Scotland.
“Nothing has changed and there is nothing to stop this happening again.”
A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) held earlier this year in Aberdeen found the tragedy might have been avoided if proper maintenance had been carried out.
However, the Crown Office said the operator would not be prosecuted as failings could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
A spokesman said: “This would have to be established before the Crown could begin to consider any systemic failures. The evidence presented during the FAI has not altered the insufficiency of evidence. Therefore the decision not to hold criminal proceedings remains the correct one.”
Offshore helicopter safety campaigner and Aberdeen North MP Frank Doran said: “There have been no prosecutions in any of the incidents in the North Sea which have resulted in deaths.
“Very rarely are the directors of companies questioned in these cases – it’s a major weakness.”
Speaking after the findings earlier this year, a spokesman for Bond Offshore said it was committed to improving safety.
A statement said: “We have always accepted that we made mistakes through honest confusion over telephone calls and e-mails.
“Lessons needed to be learned, lessons have been learned and lessons continue to be learned.”