What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
03/28- Initial report from comm center- E-5 c gauthier, USCG informed of an accident with a Robinson 22- ditched in 100 foot of water off 1/ 1/2 mile of government cut in Miami. Requested lat/long- 2546.25N, 08004.8 w. as approx location- this is where crewmen (2) survived and picked up. Aircraft- sunk near this location. Reported time by USCG was 16:55 zulu. (12:55 local.) Request weather- winds 15-20 knots se; visibility 7 miles 6-8 foot waves. Recovery efforts for the helicopter discontinued due to heavy seas. No injuries to crew- coast guard checked out their condition and released- instructor privacy data omitted and student privacy data omitted. They expressed intentions in the flight was instruction taking picture of boats for a Miami event. They reported having engine problems- no services were being provided for traffic control from Miami center- reported departure point was north perry airport (hwo).contact of juan ramos ops mgr Miami ctr, affirmed they were not under control of Miami center at the time of accident. Center and NTSB informed of findings- that the aircraft has sustained substantial damage or loss if unable to recover. USCG called and was informed that two salvage companies were to bid for recovery of the helecopteraircraft was operated for a company called boatpix at noprth perry airport.3/29- call center reaffirmed this was an accident. The pilot was called for an interview;martin sintov (pilot) indicated he had left north perry on easterly heading approximately 45 mintes prior to this accident. He verified that he had cleared via north perry tower and was not under control by maimi center. On aarival at the Miami Beach government cut, they noted some heavy seas and proceede to fly up and down the course of flight approximately 1 and 1/2 mile from the Beach line. He said they dropped to 100 feet from the water to photograph boats. Inquired about instuction- he informed none was being given at the time. As the aircraft was heading on the final pass before the accident on a south heading, he turned 180 degrees back to the north. At about 100 foot he noticed a loss of rotor rpms. He came up on the trottle and noted no increasing power at that time. When asked if he lost altitude-he said he did and preceded to try to autorotate with collective to no avail, helicopter started to turn to right and he was unable to control. He backed off on the trottle- at about 30 feet above the water. He said that the tail rotor dipped into a wave, as they were rough seas. He said the helicopter came into the surface flat. The crew egressed at this time into the water and cleared the helicopter. The helicopter sank immediately. He affirmed aircraft was not equipped with floats, and only the co-pilot had on life preserver. Pilot license, medical and instructor cert sank with aircraft. As of 04/23/2010-recovery effort of aircraft still reported as unsuccessful.
As the FAA filed it
03/28- INITIAL REPORT FROM COMM CENTER- E-5 C GAUTHIER, USCG INFORMED OF AN ACCIDENT WITH A ROBINSON 22- DITCHED IN 100 FOOT OF WATER OFF 1/ 1/2 MILE OF GOVERNMENT CUT IN MIAMI. REQUESTED LAT/LONG- 2546.25N, 08004.8 W. AS APPROX LOCATION- THIS IS WHERE CREWMEN (2) SURVIVED AND PICKED UP. AIRCRAFT- SUNK NEAR THIS LOCATION. REPORTED TIME BY USCG WAS 16:55 ZULU. (12:55 LOCAL.) REQUEST WEATHER- WINDS 15-20 KNOTS SE; VISIBILITY 7 MILES 6-8 FOOT WAVES. RECOVERY EFFORTS FOR THE HELICOPTER DISCONTINUED DUE TO HEAVY SEAS. NO INJURIES TO CREW- COAST GUARD CHECKED OUT THEIR CONDITION AND RELEASED- INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND STUDENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THEY EXPRESSED INTENTIONS IN THE FLIGHT WAS INSTRUCTION TAKING PICTURE OF BOATS FOR A MIAMI EVENT. THEY REPORTED HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS- NO SERVICES WERE BEING PROVIDED FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL FROM MIAMI CENTER- REPORTED DEPARTURE POINT WAS NORTH PERRY AIRPORT (HWO).CONTACT OF JUAN RAMOS OPS MGR MIAMI CTR, AFFIRMED THEY WERE NOT UNDER CONTROL OF MIAMI CENTER AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT.CENTER AND NTSB INFORMED OF FINDINGS- THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAS SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OR LOSS IF UNABLE TO RECOVER. USCG CALLED AND WAS INFORMED THAT TWO SALVAGE COMPANIES WERE TO BID FOR RECOVERY OF THE HELECOPTERAIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED FOR A COMPANY CALLED BOATPIX AT NOPRTH PERRY AIRPORT.3/29- CALL CENTER REAFFIRMED THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS CALLED FOR AN INTERVIEW;MARTIN SINTOV (PILOT) INDICATED HE HAD LEFT NORTH PERRY ON EASTERLY HEADING APPROXIMATELY 45 MINTES PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT. HE VERIFIED THAT HE HAD CLEARED VIA NORTH PERRY TOWER AND WAS NOT UNDER CONTROL BY MAIMI CENTER. ON AARIVAL AT THE MIAMI BEACH GOVERNMENT CUT, THEY NOTED SOME HEAVY SEAS AND PROCEEDE TO FLY UP AND DOWN THE COURSE OF FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 1 AND 1/2 MILE FROM THE BEACH LINE. HE SAID THEY DROPPED TO 100 FEET FROM THE WATER TO PHOTOGRAPH BOATS. INQUIRED ABOUT INSTUCTION- HE INFORMED NONE WAS BEING GIVEN AT THE TIME. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING ON THE FINAL PASS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT ON A SOUTH HEADING, HE TURNED 180 DEGREES BACK TO THE NORTH. AT ABOUT 100 FOOT HE NOTICED A LOSS OF ROTOR RPMS. HE CAME UP ON THE TROTTLE AND NOTED NO INCREASING POWER AT THAT TIME. WHEN ASKED IF HE LOST ALTITUDE-HE SAID HE DID AND PRECEDED TO TRY TO AUTOROTATE WITH COLLECTIVE TO NO AVAIL, HELICOPTER STARTED TO TURN TO RIGHT AND HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL. HE BACKED OFF ON THE TROTTLE- AT ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE THE WATER. HE SAID THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DIPPED INTO A WAVE, AS THEY WERE ROUGH SEAS. HE SAID THE HELICOPTER CAME INTO THE SURFACE FLAT. THE CREW EGRESSED AT THIS TIME INTO THE WATER AND CLEARED THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER SANK IMMEDIATELY. HE AFFIRMED AIRCRAFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH FLOATS, AND ONLY THE CO-PILOT HAD ON LIFE PRESERVER. PILOT LICENSE, MEDICAL AND INSTRUCTOR CERT SANK WITH AIRCRAFT.AS OF 04/23/2010-RECOVERY EFFORT OF AIRCRAFT STILL REPORTED AS UNSUCCESSFUL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.