Remembering The Cougar 491 Tragedy

FILE PHOTO

It has been nine years since the Cougar 491 crash.

On 12 March 2009 a Cougar Helicopters' Sikorsky S-92A on a flight to the Hibernia oil production platform had a total loss of oil in the transmission's main gear box.

The flight crew descended to 800 feet and headed towards St. John's.

Approximately 35 nautical miles from St. John's, during an attempted ditching, the helicopter struck the water in a high rate of descent.

One passenger,out of 18, survived with serious injuries and the other seventeen occupants of the helicopter died of drowning.