All 13 people departing the Statoil-operated Gullfaks-B platform in the North Sea are presumed dead after the helicopter they were in crashed April 29 outside of Turøy, Norway.

The Airbus EC-225 helicopter was en route to Bergen.

Boerge Galta, a search group leader for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Norway, told Hart Energy that a distress call was sent prior to the crash, but he could not share details. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.

Everyone is presumed dead, according to Galta. Initial reports indicated that 11 people died and two were missing.

Among those feared dead is a Statoil employee, according to the company’s website. Halliburton, Aker Solutions, Schlumberger, Welltec and Karsten Moholt also had employees on the helicopter, Statoil said, adding the two pilots were employed by CHC.

“Today, we have been hit by a terrible tragedy, one of the most severe helicopter accidents in the history of the Norwegian oil industry,” said Arne Sigve Nylund, executive vice president development and production Norway, for Statoil. “It is with great sorrow we have received the message that 13 people have been involved in this accident. More than anything, our thoughts are now with those who have lost their loved ones, and an entire industry extends its sympathy to them.

“We will now do everything we can to give them our support and assistance,” he added.

After receiving news about the accident, Statoil said it immediately organized its emergency response team. In a news release, the company said two pilots and 11 passengers—who work for different companies on the Statoil project—were on board the CHC helicopter. In wake of the accident, Statoil grounded all equivalent traffic helicopters and temporarily shut down production at Gullfaks B.

Citing the Dagbladet newspaper, the Associated Press reported that the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority said the crashed helicopter’s flight recorders have been recovered but further details were not given.

In a statement, Airbus Helicopters expressed sympathy for the victims and said it is giving accident investigators and CHC its full support.

“Airbus Helicopters teams are fully mobilized to understand the root cause of the accident. At this time we do not have any further information and we will provide relevant update as it becomes available,” the company said.

The helicopter that crashed had seen its maintenance servicing delayed twice last year, an aviation authority official told Norwegian daily VG, Reuters said in a news report. The aviation authority also said there had been problems with the helicopter model in 2012 “when errors in the main gear box were identified” but that the manufacturer had since produced a modification that was approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Witnesses saw the rotor separate from the helicopter while it was in the air, according to the news report. It was found on a rocky outcrop between 200 m and 300m away from the aircraft’s main body, which was underwater.

“While I looked up, the rotor loosened and disappeared towards the north,” John Atle Sekkingstad told the website of local paper Bergens Tidende. “After that, the helicopter turned north and I saw fire at the top of the helicopter, where the rotor had been attached. It caught fire before it crashed.”

Following the crash, the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) banned commercial passenger flights by Norwegian operators flying the Airbus EC225LP helicopter. The directive took place immediately and remains effective until further notice, according to the NCAA’s website. The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority has done the same.

The accident marks the first fatal accident in Norwegian offshore operations since 1997, according to the NCAA.

“This is tragic news from Norway and our immediate thoughts go to the family, friends and colleagues of those involved in this incident,” Mick Borwell, health, safety and environment policy director for Oil & Gas UK, said in a statement. “We will be following developments closely but in the meantime speculation on the cause must be avoided. We will work with the helicopter operators to develop effective support to the workforce and offshore operations during this period of investigation.”

Velda Addison can be reached at vaddison@hartenergy.com. This article contains information from Reuters.

Offshore