Risk Management Magazine

Flying offshore can be dangerous, and I heard horror stories from folks I knew who’d done the job. They shared tales of helicopters being blown off platforms and pilots having to perform emergency landings “in the drink.”

We’d briefed to shoot pen flares over a lake to mitigate the fire risk. However, because the flares did not have fins, some of them propelled in unexpected directions. This, combined with the wind, resulted in a mishap that, fortunately, had negligible consequences.

Inattention and a skill-based error almost led to a catastrophic event that would have been completely avoidable in 99.99 percent of instances. I almost let that .01 percent get me and my front-seater — and possibly the other crew.