What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The twin engine helicopter was en route to an oil platform located 90 miles south of Sabine Pass, Texas, in the gulf of Mexico. The pilot called company dispatch and reported off Sabine at 0711 with 2.5 hours of fuel on board. The company's flight following radio log shows that the pilot made a normal position report at 0729 and reported that he was 67 miles from destination. The pilot transmitted another normal position report at 0744 and reported that he was 38 miles from destination. No other radio transmissions were received from the aircraft. According to the chief pilot, the altitude at which the helicopter would have been cruising at would most likely have been between 500 and 1,000 feet AGL. No abnormalities were discovered with the engines during detailed examinations. Tear down of the main transmission revealed that the sun gear had failed, thus resulting in the main rotor system not being driven. Structural deformations of the airframe revealed that the helicopter impacted the water vertically in a high rate of descent.(-23) on June 21, 1996, the helicopter crashed into the gulf of Mexico while transporting passengers to an offshore platform. The aircraft was not recovered until June 29, 1996, nine days after the accident occurred. The ilot and three passengers onboard sustained fatal injuries. The investigation revealed that the sun gear in the main transmission failed, causing disengagement with the rotor system. The field investigation did not reveal the cause for the sun gear failure. Metallurgical examination of the sun gear is ongoing at the national transportation safety board laboratory.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE TWIN ENGINE HELICOPTER WAS EN ROUTE TO AN OIL PLATFORM LOCATED 90 MILES SOUTH OF SABINE PASS, TEXAS, IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE PILOT CALLED COMPANY DISPATCH AND REPORTED OFF SABINE AT 0711 WITH 2.5 HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE COMPANY'S FLIGHT FOLLOWING RADIO LOG SHOWS THAT THE PILOT MADE A NORMAL POSITION REPORT AT 0729 AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS 67 MILES FROM DESTINATION. THE PILOT TRANSMITTED ANOTHER NORMAL POSITION REPORT AT 0744 AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS 38 MILES FROM DESTINATION. NO OTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF PILOT, THE ALTITUDE AT WHICH THE HELICOPTER WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUISING AT WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE BEEN BETWEEN 500 AND 1,000 FEET AGL. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE DISCOVERED WITH THE ENGINES DURING DETAILED EXAMINATIONS. TEAR DOWN OF THE MAIN TRANSMISSION REVEALED THAT THE SUN GEAR HAD FAILED, THUS RESULTING IN THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM NOT BEING DRIVEN. STRUCTURAL DEFORMATIONS OF THE AIRFRAME REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE WATER VERTICALLY IN A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT.(-23) ON JUNE 21, 1996, THE HELICOPTER CRASHED INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO WHILE TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS TO AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT RECOVERED UNTIL JUNE 29, 1996, NINE DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE ILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS ONBOARD SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE SUN GEAR IN THE MAIN TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING DISENGAGEMENT WITH THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE FIELD INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL THE CAUSE FOR THE SUN GEAR FAILURE. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE SUN GEAR IS ONGOING AT THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD LABORATORY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.