The helicopter was on a scheduled operation off- shore of Escravos along the conglomerate of landing platforms employed by Gulf Oil Company of Nigeria in the process of oil production.
The helicopter took off from the main platform designated as Meren 1 at 09:35 local time to Meren Jacket 24 on a 60 second flight.
On Meren Jacket 24 were four Flopetrol loads which the helicopter was scheduled to hoist up on slings.
The helicopter approached Jacket 24 at 0600 Magnetic descending from 200ft and arrived on the Jacket at zero speed. The helicopter was lowered unto the platform heading into the wind.
As the collective pitch control lever was slowly lowered and when almost fully down, the Commander felt that the right rear wheel of the helicopter was sinking into the platform. All the three wheels of the helicopter had now made contact with the platform.
The helicopter tilted to the right and the Commander immediately increased the collective pitch angles of the main rotors for a lift off. The Commander had got the experience of a wheel sinking into the platform once before but then a successful lift-off was achieved.
