What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The helicopter departed from an offshore platform at main pass (mp) 265, in the Gulf Of Mexico, en route to another platform at mobile bay (mb) 990, 44 miles to the northwest. The helicopter failed to arrive at its planned destination and the aircraft was reported missing at 0930. A search was initiated that continued for 6 days without success. The aircraft was found 18 days later when a shrimp boat entangled the wreckage in its shrimp net, six miles southwest of the destination. Weather at the departure point was reported by an observer to be clear with fog 3 to 4 miles west of the platform. Weather at the destination was reported to be intermittently obscured by fog. Flight control continuity was confirmed and showed no evidence of pre-existing problems. Both engines were examined by NTSB at the manufacturer's facility. No premishap discrepancies were observed. Deformation signatures throughout the structure and dynamic components of the helicopter showed evidence that the aircraft impacted the water with a high rate of airspeed, near level pitch attitude, and slightly right skid down. (-23) on February 10, 1996, at approximately 0700 CST, an mbb BO-105S aircr aft, N126EH, departed from an offshore oil platform at main pass 265, in the Gulf Of Mexico, enroute to another platform at mobile bay 990. The helicopter failed to arrive at its planned destination and was reported missing at 0930 CST. On February 29, 1996, the helicopter was located by a shrimp boat, six miles southeast of mobile bay 990. The pilot was still in the helicopter. The passenger was found a few days later by another boat. The aircraft was being operated by the Gulf coast division of era aviation, inc., of anchorage, Alaska, under title 14 CFR part 135, at the time of the accident. The instrument-rated commercial pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries and the helicopter was destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight at the time of the accident. A flight plan was not filed.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED FROM AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM AT MAIN PASS (MP) 265, IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, EN ROUTE TO ANOTHER PLATFORM AT MOBILE BAY (MB) 990, 44 MILES TO THE NORTHWEST. THE HELICOPTER FAILED TO ARRIVE AT ITS PLANNED DESTINATION AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED MISSING AT 0930. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED THAT CONTINUED FOR 6 DAYS WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND 18 DAYS LATER WHEN A SHRIMP BOAT ENTANGLED THE WRECKAGE IN ITS SHRIMP NET, SIX MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE DESTINATION. WEATHER AT THE DEPARTURE POINT WAS REPORTED BY AN OBSERVER TO BE CLEAR WITH FOG 3 TO 4 MILES WEST OF THE PLATFORM. WEATHER AT THE DESTINATION WAS REPORTED TO BE INTERMITTENTLY OBSCURED BY FOG. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED AND SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING PROBLEMS. BOTH ENGINES WERE EXAMINED BY NTSB AT THE MANUFACTURER'S FACILITY. NO PREMISHAP DISCREPANCIES WERE OBSERVED. DEFORMATION SIGNATURES THROUGHOUT THE STRUCTURE AND DYNAMIC COMPONENTS OF THE HELICOPTER SHOWED EVIDENCE THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER WITH A HIGH RATE OF AIRSPEED, NEAR LEVEL PITCH ATTITUDE, AND SLIGHTLY RIGHT SKID DOWN. (-23) ON FEBRUARY 10, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 CST, AN MBB BO-105S AIRCR AFT, N126EH, DEPARTED FROM AN OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORM AT MAIN PASS 265, IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, ENROUTE TO ANOTHER PLATFORM AT MOBILE BAY 990. THE HELICOPTER FAILED TO ARRIVE AT ITS PLANNED DESTINATION AND WAS REPORTED MISSING AT 0930 CST. ON FEBRUARY 29, 1996, THE HELICOPTER WAS LOCATED BY A SHRIMP BOAT, SIX MILES SOUTHEAST OF MOBILE BAY 990. THE PILOT WAS STILL IN THE HELICOPTER. THE PASSENGER WAS FOUND A FEW DAYS LATER BY ANOTHER BOAT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE GULF COAST DIVISION OF ERA AVIATION, INC., OF ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 135, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE INSTRUMENT-RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.