NTSB Issues Safety Recommendations A-08-83 and -84

On Dec. 29, 2007, about 1531 central standard time, a Bell 206L1 helicopter, N211EL, operated by Air Logistics, LLC, impacted the water while approaching South Pass Block 38 (SP38), an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico, with a commercial pilot and three passengers aboard. All four occupants survived the crash, but one passenger died while awaiting rescue. The pilot was seriously injured, and the two other passengers received minor injuries. The on-demand air taxi flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

Background

About 1430 the pilot picked up the passengers at the Chandeleur 63 platform in the Gulf of Mexico for a 20-minute flight to their base platform at SP38. According to the two surviving passengers, the pilot did not provide a preflight safety briefing before takeoff. While approaching the SP38 platform, the helicopter encountered deteriorating weather. While slowing the helicopter for the landing, the pilot began an inadvertent descent, which was not arrested before the helicopter impacted the water and rolled to an inverted position. Because of the inadvertent descent, the pilot was likely not aware that the helicopter was about to contact the water, and the skid-mounted floats were not activated or deployed before the helicopter entered the water. After impact, the occupants evacuated the cabin, which was flooding rapidly, and inflated their personal flotation devices (PFDs). Also, the two external six-person liferafts were not deployed.

To read the entire recommendation from Robert A. Sturgell, FAA Acting Administrator, click here.