No hope' of helicopter survivors

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1. Brett
   

   There is no hope of finding any survivors after a helicopter crashed into the North Sea, police have said.
   
   Eight bodies were found after the Bond Super Puma came down 14 miles off the Aberdeenshire coast on Wednesday.
   
   Twelve of the 16 people on board are from Scotland - eight in Grampian - three are from England and Wales and one is from elsewhere in Europe.
   
   Grampian Police Assistant Chief Constable Colin Menzies said: "The grim reality is the crew has been lost."
   
   The search is now being treated as a recovery operation.
   
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   First Minister Alex Salmond said the victims were expected to be named on Thursday afternoon.
   
   Speaking during question time at Holyrood, he also raised the possibility of a public inquiry into the crash.
   
   The first minister said any decision to hold such an inquiry was a matter for ministers and law officers after the full facts of the case had been established - but he told MSPs it was clear an "inquiry in public" had to be considered.
   
   BP has announced it will temporarily stop using Bond helicopters and Bond has grounded its Super Puma fleet.
   
   The aircraft was returning from oil firm BP's Miller oilfield, 168 miles north east of Aberdeen, when it crashed at about 1400 BST on Wednesday about 14 miles off Peterhead in Aberdeenshire.
   
   Susan Todd, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "This morning the search has resumed at the scene of the incident. The search area has grown overnight and is quite extensive - some 30 sq nautical miles.
   
   "It was an extremely major search involving, at its peak, between 15 and 20 merchant vessels, three rescue helicopters, two lifeboats and a Nimrod fixed wing aircraft.
   
   
   The crash happened about 40 miles north east of Aberdeen
   James Cook, Scotland correspondent, in Aberdeen
   
   The skies above Aberdeen are quieter than usual today.
   
   There are no Super Pumas rising above the granite buildings, slicing through the skies on their way to the oilfields.
   
   Normally several would be clattering overhead, ferrying men trussed up in survival suits out into the cold North Sea.
   
   So common are helicopters here that many oil workers think of them as buses, taking them to an office above the salty swell. But they are not buses as yesterday's tragedy reminds us. The quest for the "black gold" still carries terrible risks.
   
   The docks in Aberdeen are quieter too. Hard men beside hulking ships may not show much emotion but that's just the way here.
   
   The granite city does not weep and wail in public but it is in mourning nonetheless.
   
   "The weather conditions were extremely favourable for us searching and therefore the quality of search was extremely good.
   
   "Even in favourable conditions the North Sea is a very harsh environment.
   
   "The sea temperatures at this time of year are approximately eight degrees and people's survivability chances are reduced. Unfortunately as we look towards the search this morning, we can only fear the worst."
   
   BP said it had decided to temporarily stop using the Bond helicopter fleet.
   
   It said: "To allow Bond Offshore Helicopters and their staff the time to reflect upon the loss of two of their colleagues, BP has decided to discontinue passenger operations using Bond with immediate effect.
   
   "Alternative arrangements have been put in place to cover BP's offshore helicopter operations.
   
   "And Bond Helicopters have decided to suspend all passenger flights using Super Pumas for today. This affects eights flights today."

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