What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 4, 2008, at 2:09 pm central standard time, a Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopter, registered to and operated by phi, inc., as a part 135 air taxi flight, crashed into swampy terrain just north of the gulf of Mexico coastline near Morgan City, Louisiana. Both pilots and six of the seven passengers on board were killed. One person was critically injured. The helicopter departed a phi base in amelia, Louisiana, en route to oil platform s. timbalaer 301 to transport oil rig workers from two different oil exploration companies. The weather conditions were reported as day visual flight rule (VFR) conditions, with scattered clouds at 1,000 feet and 10 miles of visibility. According to representatives of phi, the flight was being tracked via a phi satellite system. It departed from amelia at 2:02 pm. The track suddenly ended seven minutes after departure at 2:09 pm. There were no reports of any problems from the flight crew. A search and rescue operation was immediately initiated by the u. s. coast guard, and the helicopter wreckage was found shortly thereafter near the location of the loss of the track.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 4, 2008, AT 2:09 PM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A SIKORSKY S-76C++ HELICOPTER, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PHI, INC., AS A PART 135 AIR TAXI FLIGHT, CRASHED INTO SWAMPY TERRAIN JUST NORTH OF THE GULF OF MEXICO COASTLINE NEAR MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA. BOTH PILOTS AND SIX OF THE SEVEN PASSENGERS ON BOARD WERE KILLED. ONE PERSON WAS CRITICALLY INJURED. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED A PHI BASE IN AMELIA, LOUISIANA, EN ROUTE TO OIL PLATFORM S. TIMBALAER 301 TO TRANSPORT OIL RIG WORKERS FROM TWO DIFFERENT OIL EXPLORATION COMPANIES. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AS DAY VISUAL FLIGHT RULE (VFR) CONDITIONS, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 1,000 FEET AND 10 MILES OF VISIBILITY. ACCORDING TO REPRESENTATIVES OF PHI, THE FLIGHT WAS BEING TRACKED VIA A PHI SATELLITE SYSTEM. IT DEPARTED FROM AMELIA AT 2:02 PM. THE TRACK SUDDENLY ENDED SEVEN MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE AT 2:09 PM. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF ANY PROBLEMS FROM THE FLIGHT CREW. A SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION WAS IMMEDIATELY INITIATED BY THE U. S. COAST GUARD, AND THE HELICOPTER WRECKAGE WAS FOUND SHORTLY THEREAFTER NEAR THE LOCATION OF THE LOSS OF THE TRACK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.