Cougar 491 crash remembered 6 years later

It has been six years since the ill-fated Cougar Flight 491 crashed into the icy waters off Newfoundland's shore, killing 17 of the 18 people onboard.

On March 12, 2009, the S92A chopper, made by U.S.-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., plunged into the ocean 55 kilometres southeast of St. John's.

Two pilots and15 passengers died in the crash. Robert Decker was the sole survivor.

The helicopter was destinedto offshore oil-production platforms hundreds of kilometres east of St. John's.

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A 2011 Transportation Safety Board report indicated that the flight crashed 11 minutes afterone of its two pilots reported the helicopter's gearbox was losing oil pressure.

A memorial service will take place at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in St. John's, beginning at 7 p.m.