Remarks: Three rig personnel were attaching BeBe winch cables to the BOP stack. They were working from an elevated work platform (commonly called the Texas deck), which had been positioned around the BOP stack approximately 40 feet above the A platform well deck. A 2"x12"x16' scaffold board was installed across the Texas deck. The scaffold board broke into three pieces under the combined weight and activities of the three personnel. Two men were able to hold onto existing piping and the BOP stack (one was wearing a harness). The third man fell approximately 40-ft to the platform well deck. CPR was administered to the victim, but he was unresponsive.
 

Remarks: A diver was conducting gauging readings when he reported low air pressure over the intercom line. A leak was detected at the hose connection to his helmet. The air hose was hung up and help could not get the diver free. The diver was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
 

Remarks: Slag and sparks were falling from welder's cutting and replacing grating on sump deck. The gas powered wash-down pump was turned on to wet the tarps over the sump tank. The wash-down pump stroked several times fast, venting gas, which was ignited from the slag and sparks. Trying to get a better view of the fire, the welding supervisor stepped through the open hole in the grating, fell 30 ft, hit the handrail, and fell into the Gulf waters. The structure was shut-in by activating the ESD Station. The fire was quickly extinguished with a dry chemical extinguisher. The welding supervisor suffered internal injuries, which were fatal.
 

Remarks: During reaming operations, the driller was in the process of breaking out the top drive at the rig floor. After having set the speed and rotation controls, the driller began to increase torque. As torque was increased, the elevator links, which were tilted out as a result of the position of the top drive unit, began to rotate counterclockwise. The driller, in attempting to stop the rotation of the elevator links, overcompensated by turning the rotation control knob past the neutral setting to the clockwise position. As a result, the elevator links and attached elevator reversed direction, struck the driller, and fatally pinned the driller as well as the drilling console against the draw works.
 

Remarks: INVESTIGATION PENDING.
 

Remarks: At 1533, an Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopter, N6100U, owned and operated by PHI was destroyed during an emergency landing at the HI A20 platform. The pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from HI 446 platform at 1504 and was enroute to the HI 105 platform.
 

Remarks: A welder was cutting bolts on a flowline flange with his blow torch when fire flashed and caught the welders clothes on fire. At this point, the welder was engulfed in flames. He ran to the lifeboat and was extinguished with a 5# dry chemical fire extinguisher. Later, one of the individuals that aided in the care of the injured developed chest pains so he was evacuated at the same time as the welder by Coast Guard helicopter at 0521 hours. The welder later died.
 

Remarks: Three personnel were replacing grating at the + 12' level. Two of them noticed that the third was missing. An initial search could not locate the missing worker. A search was initiated to see if he could be located in the Gulf water around the platform. They spoke with a Petty Officer with the Morgan City Coast Guard Office on December 13, 1996, at 14:10 hours and he stated that the search for the missing man was ended on December 10, 1996, at 16:00 hours. On December 27, 1996, a diver found the body of the missing welder under the platform. USCG approval was obtained to remove the body. An autopsy has been performed, but the results are not known at this Investigation.