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Aftermath of Cougar 491 crash report
February 24, 2011 By Carey Fredericks
Feb. 24, 2011, St. John's - Families of the victims of a tragic
helicopter crash off Newfoundland are putting pressure on Ottawa to act
in the aftermath of a report into the accident.
The request comes in a lawyer's letter to Transport Minister Chuck
Strahl on behalf of the families of the 17 people who died in the crash
of Cougar Flight 491 in March 2009, as well as the sole survivor.
The Transportation Safety Board released its final report earlier this
month, citing a number of factors in the crash of the Sikorsky S-92
including a severe loss of oil affecting the main gearbox.
The letter dated Feb. 18 calls on Strahl to investigate Transport Canada's initial certification the S-92 helicopter.
The families also want Strahl to probe Transport Canada's response to an
incident involving the same type of chopper in Australia in July 2008.
Strahl has asked his department to respond to the TSB's recommendations as soon as possible.
The families say they are looking for answers to questions about a
number of issues in the interest of aviation safety and are not
advancing a case for compensation.
