What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At approx. 09:50 am, on dec. 29, 2000, petroleum helicopters, inc. reported to the baton rouge FSDO that a Bell-407 helicopter, N407MM, was missing. The a/c was on a VFR, 14 CFR 91 repositioning flight from phi's cameron base, cameron, LA. To galveston, TX. The a/c departed the cameron base at 07:13 on a company VFR flight plan. The commercially rated pilot was the sole occupant on board the a/c. the pilot made a routine position report southwest of Sabine Pass, TX at 07:28 and no problems were reported. There was no further contact with the a/c. both petroleum helicopters and the USCG conducted an air and sea search. Late in the day of dec. 30, 2000, a "pinger" and a small oil slick were observed at 29.25.572N, 94.32.859W. Due to weather and sea state, a dive could not be made until jan. 2, 2001. On that date, the a/c was located and recovered. The pilot, however, was not located and is still missing. The a/c was demolished by an apparent high-speed water impact. The aft 3/4 of the a/c's tail boom was not recovered on jan 2, 2001. No apparent systems or a/c malfunction was evident. On jan. 6, 2001, an additional section of the tail boom was discovered by boat and returned to phi's main base in lafayette, LA. This section was severed just aft of the horizontal stabilizer at a point consistent with the tail rotor tip path plane. Tail rotor/tail boom contact was evident by cut lines on the tail boom. The aft section of the boom consisting of the tail rotor, tail rotor gearbox, and vertical fin has not been recovered.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT APPROX. 09:50 AM, ON DEC. 29, 2000, PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC. REPORTED TO THE BATON ROUGE FSDO THAT A BELL-407 HELICOPTER, N407MM, WAS MISSING. THE A/C WAS ON A VFR, 14 CFR 91 REPOSITIONING FLIGHT FROM PHI'S CAMERON BASE, CAMERON, LA. TO GALVESTON, TX. THE A/C DEPARTED THE CAMERON BASE AT 07:13 ON A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD THE A/C. THE PILOT MADE A ROUTINE POSITION REPORT SOUTHWEST OF SABINE PASS, TX AT 07:28 AND NO PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED. THERE WAS NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE A/C. BOTH PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS AND THE USCG CONDUCTED AN AIR AND SEA SEARCH. LATE IN THE DAY OF DEC. 30, 2000, A "PINGER" AND A SMALL OIL SLICK WERE OBSERVED AT 29.25.572N, 94.32.859W. DUE TO WEATHER AND SEA STATE, A DIVE COULD NOT BE MADE UNTIL JAN. 2, 2001. ON THAT DATE, THE A/C WAS LOCATED AND RECOVERED. THE PILOT, HOWEVER, WAS NOT LOCATED AND IS STILL MISSING. THE A/C WAS DEMOLISHED BY AN APPARENT HIGH-SPEED WATER IMPACT. THE AFT 3/4 OF THE A/C'S TAIL BOOM WAS NOT RECOVERED ON JAN 2, 2001. NO APPARENT SYSTEMS OR A/C MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT. ON JAN. 6, 2001, AN ADDITIONAL SECTION OF THE TAIL BOOM WAS DISCOVERED BY BOAT AND RETURNED TO PHI'S MAIN BASE IN LAFAYETTE, LA. THIS SECTION WAS SEVERED JUST AFT OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AT A POINT CONSISTENT WITH THE TAIL ROTOR TIP PATH PLANE. TAIL ROTOR/TAIL BOOM CONTACT WAS EVIDENT BY CUT LINES ON THE TAIL BOOM. THE AFT SECTION OF THE BOOM CONSISTING OF THE TAIL ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX, AND VERTICAL FIN HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.