Sikorsky helicopter manual problem flagged

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency directive Thursday about the type of helicopter that crashed off the coast of Newfoundland March 12.

Seventeen people died when a Sikorsky S-92A operated by Cougar Helicopters crashed into the ocean about 55 kilometres, east-southeast of St. John's.

The agency said there is an error in the helicopter's maintenance manual.

The error could lead to the installation of an incorrect part and that could lead to a gearbox failure and a loss of oil pressure.

Those two issues have been cited as possible causes of the Cougar helicopter crash in March.

The agency is asking all operators to inspect their helicopters within a week to see whether incorrect parts were installed.

Sikorsky says it has been aware of the problem since July and notified customers at that time.