What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was on a fish spotting flight in the south pacific with a crew of one pilot and one passenger (spotter). Fish were spotted in the vicinity of another boat. The aircraft flew by the boat and came to a hover over the fish in an attempt to drop a signal buoy which marks the position of the fish (and claims that school of fish for its boat) approximately 1,000 feet ahead of the boat. The aircraft hovered with it's tail pointed at the boat. The boat did not stop in time and ran in to the tail of the helicopter. The helicopter, which was equipped with floats, crashed and turned upside down in the water. The pilot released his seat belt and swam to the surface. The spotter was unable to escape and died.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS ON A FISH SPOTTING FLIGHT IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC WITH A CREW OF ONE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER (SPOTTER). FISH WERE SPOTTED IN THE VICINITY OF ANOTHER BOAT. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW BY THE BOAT AND CAME TO A HOVER OVER THE FISH IN AN ATTEMPT TO DROP A SIGNAL BUOY WHICH MARKS THE POSITION OF THE FISH (AND CLAIMS THAT SCHOOL OF FISH FOR ITS BOAT) APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET AHEAD OF THE BOAT. THE AIRCRAFT HOVERED WITH IT'S TAIL POINTED AT THE BOAT. THE BOAT DID NOT STOP IN TIME AND RAN IN TO THE TAIL OF THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER, WHICH WAS EQUIPPED WITH FLOATS, CRASHED AND TURNED UPSIDE DOWN IN THE WATER. THE PILOT RELEASED HIS SEAT BELT AND SWAM TO THE SURFACE. THE SPOTTER WAS UNABLE TO ESCAPE AND DIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.