Piper Alpha: Fire in the night
Discussion
theironduke said:
Just watched it on iplayer.
That was possibly the best documentary I've ever seen. I can't believe it was 1.5 hours long, it just felt so perfectly paced. Really good to have everything from people who were there, no narration from a random (no matter how famous) voice.
Tragic topic but very well executed.
Sadly it's rare these days that a 'good old fashioned' documentary is made.That was possibly the best documentary I've ever seen. I can't believe it was 1.5 hours long, it just felt so perfectly paced. Really good to have everything from people who were there, no narration from a random (no matter how famous) voice.
Tragic topic but very well executed.
I remember it well at the time, and it seems to have been totally out of the news, and almost, dare I say it, forgotten about.
It was nice to see the story given the time to be told properly.
RizzoTheRat said:
Crafty_ said:
Amazed that the guys who jumped from the helipad were not injured when they hit the water.
Did they actually say how many jumped from the helipad? They only interviewed one, could be several more jumped and didn't make it fathomfive said:
theironduke said:
Just watched it on iplayer.
That was possibly the best documentary I've ever seen. I can't believe it was 1.5 hours long, it just felt so perfectly paced. Really good to have everything from people who were there, no narration from a random (no matter how famous) voice.
Tragic topic but very well executed.
My sentiments exactly.That was possibly the best documentary I've ever seen. I can't believe it was 1.5 hours long, it just felt so perfectly paced. Really good to have everything from people who were there, no narration from a random (no matter how famous) voice.
Tragic topic but very well executed.
Every now and then a programme comes along which holds your attention to such a degree that you don't notice the passage of time.
Quite possibly one of the best television programmes I've ever seen full stop. Outstanding!
Really great documentary.
My dad was an instrument tech on the Tartan the night the Piper went up, I can still remember the panic my mum went through that night when it was on the news. It really f***ed him up for a very long time. 30 tons of gas a second, you can't even begin to comprehend that.
RIP to the 167, and I sincerely hope Armand Hammer is rotting in a hell that I don't believe in.
My dad was an instrument tech on the Tartan the night the Piper went up, I can still remember the panic my mum went through that night when it was on the news. It really f***ed him up for a very long time. 30 tons of gas a second, you can't even begin to comprehend that.
RIP to the 167, and I sincerely hope Armand Hammer is rotting in a hell that I don't believe in.
STV had been making a documentary series about the oil industry around that time and eventually devoted a whole episode to the disaster. At one point a helicopter incoming to the hospital is contacted by the co-ordinator "understand you are carrying four injured". There's a pause and the pilot replies "now carrying three injured", another pause and the co-ordinator replies "thank you".
I'd never before wept while watching something on telly.
I'd never before wept while watching something on telly.
Halmyre said:
STV had been making a documentary series about the oil industry around that time and eventually devoted a whole episode to the disaster. At one point a helicopter incoming to the hospital is contacted by the co-ordinator "understand you are carrying four injured". There's a pause and the pilot replies "now carrying three injured", another pause and the co-ordinator replies "thank you".
I'd never before wept while watching something on telly.
It was RESCUE, following the work of RAF Search and Rescue at Lossiemouth. The Piper Alpha episode begins at 1:56:00 here:I'd never before wept while watching something on telly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIq5UQxUJAI
The cameraman Paul Berriff was one of the producers of the Fire in the Night documentary. He was also in New York on 9/11 and survived the collapse of the South Tower while filming the unfolding scene.
Belle427 said:
Harrowing viewing.
Seems crazy to me that no one could cut gas/oil supplies from piper itself in the event of an emergency.
Appreciate the control room was destroyed but i guess thats why safety systems have improved.
Yes indeed, I don't know how possible this would be with 70-80s technology though and the comms links were one of the first things to fail in any case. I'd also be interested to know if it's any different today? Hopefully so. Having read bits of the Cullen Inquiry over the weekend, the quantity of gas contained in the pipelines between Claymore, Tartan and Piper at 1000 psi is phenomenal and it would have taken too long to blow it down to safe pressures, not the minutes they had, again I'm not sure if other platforms have quicker means of dealing with such things now. However if oil production from other platforms had been stopped, this would have had an impact instantaneously and would certainly have delayed the rupturing of the gas riser. Paragraphs 7.37-40 of the inquiry which give the account of the events on Claymore are utterly baffling. Seems crazy to me that no one could cut gas/oil supplies from piper itself in the event of an emergency.
Appreciate the control room was destroyed but i guess thats why safety systems have improved.
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