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Gearbox failure caused fatal crash

Apr 10 2009

An initial report into the North Sea helicopter crash in which 16 people died found that the aircraft suffered a "catastrophic failure" in part of its main gearbox, it has been revealed.

An initial report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found the failure caused the helicopter's main rotor to break away from the aircraft, and its tail boom to become severed from the fuselage.

There was also a rupture in the helicopter's right-hand engine casing, accident investigators said.

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