Pushp Vaid, captain of the Chinook that crashed into the North Sea off Shetland on 6 November 1986 in the UK's worst helicopter accident, has described how he was one of only two survivors and has used artificial intelligence to recreate the disaster ahead of a service marking its 40th anniversary.
The Chinook was returning offshore workers from the Brent field with 47 people on board when it crashed into the sea during its approach to Sumburgh. Forty-three passengers and two crew members died; one passenger survived alongside Vaid. The cause of the accident was subsequently found to be a catastrophic gear box failure.
The crash remains the UK's worst helicopter accident and highlighted concerns, voiced particularly by trades unions, about the safety of North Sea flights.
Vaid, now 85 and from Westhill, Aberdeenshire, recalled 6 November 1986 being a "beautiful" day, with calm weather in Sumburgh. On the approach, as the helicopter began to descend, he heard a "whining" noise that grew louder, which the crew assumed was not serious. They then heard an "almighty bang" as the front gear broke, the rotors drew closer together and struck one another. The rear rotor parted from the helicopter, and the machine pitched vertically, going from 100 knots to zero knots, with part of the rotor hitting the windscreen.
"The cockpit did a flip and it broke from the main cabin, but the floor was still attached, so when it hit the water the rear part of the helicopter took the impact," he said. He did not feel the moment of hitting the water and, after going underwater, swam to the surface, where "there was so much wreckage everywhere". He was not worried about being in the water, he recalled, because he knew a rescue helicopter due to be out on a training exercise would come. The two survivors were picked up, treated in hospital in Lerwick and later transferred to Aberdeen.
Vaid said he made the AI video because it was difficult to make people understand his story in words, and seeing AI programmes had persuaded him he could do the same. It was "my way of paying my respect to the people who died". He recalled that in the first year he felt guilty that he was alive while 45 people were not, but the fault was technical and the crew could have done nothing at all. "I was one of the lucky ones," he said.
A special service will be held in Aberdeen to mark the 40th anniversary of the accident.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The 1986 crash killed 45 people and remains the worst helicopter accident in UK history, and a service in Aberdeen will mark the 40th anniversary.
- Vaid has used artificial intelligence to create a visual account of the disaster, offering a new way to understand what happened.
- The accident drew attention to union concerns about the safety of North Sea flights.
Background
The Chinook was returning offshore workers from the Brent field when it crashed into the North Sea during its approach to Sumburgh, Shetland, on 6 November 1986, following a catastrophic gear box failure. It remains the UK's worst helicopter accident, and the anniversary is to be marked with a special service in Aberdeen.
Key Perspectives
Pushp Vaid: says he was "lucky" to be one of only two survivors, initially felt guilty that he lived while 45 people died, and stresses that the fault was technical and the crew could have done nothing. He made an AI video as a way of paying his respect to those who died.
Trades unions: had voiced concerns about the safety of North Sea flights, concerns that the Shetland accident highlighted.
What to Watch
- The special service in Aberdeen marking the 40th anniversary of the crash.
- The release of the AI recreation video Vaid has made of the disaster.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe 1986 crash remains the UK's worst helicopter accident.BBC Scotland: “It remains the UK's worst helicopter accident.”
- SupportedThe captain is recalling the crash 40 years after it happened.BBC Scotland: “A man who captained a helicopter which crashed with the loss of dozens of lives 40 years ago”
- SupportedPushp Vaid was one of two survivors of the crash.BBC Scotland: “one passenger survived alongside Captain Pushp Vaid.”
- SupportedVaid used AI to recreate what happened to the helicopter ahead of the anniversary service.BBC Scotland: “He has also now used artificial intelligence (AI) to recreate what happened to the helicopter.”
- SupportedThe Chinook crashed off Shetland on 6 November 1986.BBC Scotland: “The Chinook carrying offshore workers crashed into the North Sea after a catastrophic gear box failure off the coast of Shetland on 6 November 1986.”
- SupportedThe Chinook had 47 people on board; 43 passengers and two crew members died, and one passenger survived alongside Vaid.BBC Scotland: “Forty-three passengers and two crew members died, while one passenger survived alongside Captain Pushp Vaid.”
- SupportedThe cause of the accident was a catastrophic gear box failure.BBC Scotland: “The Chinook carrying offshore workers crashed into the North Sea after a catastrophic gear box failure off the coast of Shetland on 6 November 1986. [...] The cause of the accident was subsequently discovered to be gear box failure.”
- SupportedVaid recalled that 6 November 1986 was a “beautiful” day.BBC Scotland: “Vaid, of Westhill, Aberdeenshire, recalls 6 November 1986 being a "beautiful" day.”
- SupportedVaid said: “The cockpit did a flip and it broke from the main cabin, but the floor was still attached, so when it hit the water the rear part of the helicopter took the impact.”BBC Scotland: “"The cockpit did a flip and it broke from the main cabin, but the floor was still attached, so when it hit the water the rear part of the helicopter took the impact."”
- SupportedVaid said there was “so much wreckage everywhere” when he reached the surface.BBC Scotland: “When I reached the top there was so much wreckage everywhere.”
- SupportedVaid said making the video was his way of paying respect to those who died.BBC Scotland: “"That's one of the reasons I wanted to make the video - it's my way of paying my respect to the people who died."”
- SupportedVaid said: “I was one of the lucky ones.”BBC Scotland: “"I was one of the lucky ones."”