On 19 January 1995, the AS 332L Super Puma helicopter operating the route, registered G-TIGK and named Cullen, was struck by lightning.

[3] En route, the helicopter ran into poor weather and was then struck by lightning.

Though the helicopter managed to limp for a few more minutes, the tail rotor eventually failed completely when the copilot tried to test if his controls were still working and the pilots were forced to perform an emergency autorotation onto the rough seas.

Emergency flotation devices on the helicopter allowed the passengers and crew to be evacuated onto a life raft.

The accident investigation also revealed potential troubles with the carbon fibre composite material with brass strip design of the rotors which made the rotorblades prone to explosion and damage from lightning strikes.