North Sea Helicopter Crash: Super Puma Grounded, All helicopters of the same model as one which ditched into the sea off Shetland killing four people have been grounded.
Helicopter services company CHC said flights of the Super Puma AS332 L2 would be suspended globally until further notice.
It has also suspended all UK commercial flights of the other models in the Super Puma range after a recommendation from an aviation safety group.
The search is continuing for the body of the fourth victim of the crash, which took place as the helicopter headed back from the Borgsten Dolphin platform on Friday.
The aircraft was carrying two crew and 16 passengers from the rig, operated by French oil and gas company Total.
Early indications suggest a sudden and "catastrophic loss of power" which gave passengers no chance to brace for impact before the helicopter ended up upside down in the North Sea.
At a meeting of the UK's Helicopter Safety Steering Group on Saturday, offshore companies and unions agreed to suspend commercial flights by all models of Super Puma until at least next Wednesday.
CHC - which operates helicopters in 30 countries - said it had "great respect" for the HSSG and would follow its recommendation, which still allows for the use of emergency flights.
The incident marks the fourth in four years involving Super Puma aircraft.
In April 2009, 16 people died when a helicopter returning from BP's Miller platform crashed 11 miles from Peterhead after a "catastrophic failure" in part of its main gearbox.
A Facebook group called Destroy The Super Pumas, set up after the latest tragedy, has more than 15,000 likes.
One comment urges offshore workers to "stand side by side and get these Death traps out of the sky's for good !!!!"
However, other users warn against a knee-jerk reaction and say that the helicopter has been successfully used for many years in search and rescue.
The Unite union's Scottish Secretary, Pat Rafferty, said the safety record was "unacceptable" and called on the oil and gas industry to use "every means at their disposal to demonstrate that its fleet is fit for purpose".
Bob Crow, head of the RMT union, said he expected an "outpouring of anger" after the latest incident.
"The entire Super Puma fleet must remain grounded until the causes of this latest event are established," said Mr Crow.
Police named the four people who died as: Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland; Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin; Gary McCrossan , 59, from Inverness; and George Allison, 57, from Winchester.
The body of the fourth victim is still on board the wreckage of the helicopter, which is thought to be close to rocks.
Sky's James Matthews in Aberdeen said: "The plan today is to send this recovery vessel out of Lerwick and if conditions allow there will be police divers on board who will retrieve the body."
A crane will then lift the wreckage out of the sea.
It is thought that at least three of the four people who died had trouble getting out of the wreckage of the upturned helicopter.
All the relatives of the dead have been informed.
Mr Munro's family said he was "a fabulous father" to his 12-year-old daughter and that his death would "leave a large void in a lot of people’s lives".
Sarah Darnely's mother, Anne, paid tribute to a "fun-loving free spirit" who was brought up in Elgin and moved to Aberdeen aged 19.
Helicopter services company CHC said flights of the Super Puma AS332 L2 would be suspended globally until further notice.
It has also suspended all UK commercial flights of the other models in the Super Puma range after a recommendation from an aviation safety group.
The search is continuing for the body of the fourth victim of the crash, which took place as the helicopter headed back from the Borgsten Dolphin platform on Friday.
The aircraft was carrying two crew and 16 passengers from the rig, operated by French oil and gas company Total.
Early indications suggest a sudden and "catastrophic loss of power" which gave passengers no chance to brace for impact before the helicopter ended up upside down in the North Sea.
At a meeting of the UK's Helicopter Safety Steering Group on Saturday, offshore companies and unions agreed to suspend commercial flights by all models of Super Puma until at least next Wednesday.
CHC - which operates helicopters in 30 countries - said it had "great respect" for the HSSG and would follow its recommendation, which still allows for the use of emergency flights.
The incident marks the fourth in four years involving Super Puma aircraft.
In April 2009, 16 people died when a helicopter returning from BP's Miller platform crashed 11 miles from Peterhead after a "catastrophic failure" in part of its main gearbox.
A Facebook group called Destroy The Super Pumas, set up after the latest tragedy, has more than 15,000 likes.
One comment urges offshore workers to "stand side by side and get these Death traps out of the sky's for good !!!!"
However, other users warn against a knee-jerk reaction and say that the helicopter has been successfully used for many years in search and rescue.
The Unite union's Scottish Secretary, Pat Rafferty, said the safety record was "unacceptable" and called on the oil and gas industry to use "every means at their disposal to demonstrate that its fleet is fit for purpose".
Bob Crow, head of the RMT union, said he expected an "outpouring of anger" after the latest incident.
"The entire Super Puma fleet must remain grounded until the causes of this latest event are established," said Mr Crow.
Police named the four people who died as: Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland; Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin; Gary McCrossan , 59, from Inverness; and George Allison, 57, from Winchester.
The body of the fourth victim is still on board the wreckage of the helicopter, which is thought to be close to rocks.
Sky's James Matthews in Aberdeen said: "The plan today is to send this recovery vessel out of Lerwick and if conditions allow there will be police divers on board who will retrieve the body."
A crane will then lift the wreckage out of the sea.
It is thought that at least three of the four people who died had trouble getting out of the wreckage of the upturned helicopter.
All the relatives of the dead have been informed.
Mr Munro's family said he was "a fabulous father" to his 12-year-old daughter and that his death would "leave a large void in a lot of people’s lives".
Sarah Darnely's mother, Anne, paid tribute to a "fun-loving free spirit" who was brought up in Elgin and moved to Aberdeen aged 19.
