Successful Recovery of Spanish Helicopter
Phoenix International, USA, recently completed an underwater search and recovery operation for the Spanish Ministry of Defence (MOD) to recover a Super Puma helicopter that crashed into the sea on 19 March 2014 off the Canary Islands in 2,365 metres of seawater (msw). Phoenix deployed personnel and the company’s Remora 2 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to Gran Canaria on board the motor vessel EDT Ares which was hired by Phoenix to support the project.
The MOD had a relatively accurate impact position for the helicopter, so search operations were conducted using Remora 2 and the vehicle’s Simrad 1071 scanning sonar. Following a pre-determined search grid, ROV operators maneuvered the vehicle along the search route while sonar technicians reviewed images of the seafloor. After Phoenix personnel identified a likely sonar target, Remora’s onboard cameras were used to verify the target as the downed helicopter. Phoenix ROV operators then used the vehicle’s manipulators to connect rigging to the wreckage. A hoist line from M/V EDT Ares lifted the wreckage to the surface and onto the back deck of the vessel. All recovered items were turned over to Spanish MOD personnel.
Phoenix is an employee-owned, ISO 9001-2008 Management System certified marine services contractor providing manned and unmanned underwater solutions, design engineering, and project management services to a diverse set of clients worldwide. Expertise is available from seven regional offices in the areas of wet and dry hyperbaric welding, Nondestructive Testing, (NDT), subsea engineering services, conventional and atmospheric diving, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and other robotic systems. The capabilities are directed to underwater inspection, maintenance, and repair; deep ocean survey, search and recovery operations; submarine rescue; construction; subsea tieback; subsea mining; archaeological; and documentary projects.
