What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 30, 2014, around 10:45 am central standard time (CST) the reporting inspector received a call from westwind aviation, inc. (iava) federal aviation administration (FAA) principal operations inspector david metz. Mr. Metz indicated that he was called and notified by iava that one of their Bell 407 helicopters experienced an engine power lost and the pilot had to put the helicopter on the water. Iava?s director of maintenance (dom) was contacted by electronic mail (email) to confirm this information. A replied message was received from iava?s dom informing the reporting inspector that one of their aircraft experienced a loss of power on takeoff from a rig at eugene island 182 (approximately 75 miles south of Abbeville, Louisiana). He also indicated that the floats were deployed and the aircraft made a safe autorotation to the water. Five passengers and pilot on board reported all safely made it to a life raft and subsequently picked up by crew boat and taken to the platform. No injuries reported.
In accordance with a pilot?s report dated June 2, 2014 and iava discrepancies & maintenance report number 13714, after loading two passengers from eugene island 182A for a total of five passenger, he advanced the throttle to ?fly?, then slowly pulled in power with collective to come to a three feet hover with torque starting at 65% then to 70% and 700 degrees mgt. Pilot indicated that he began the takeoff with forward cyclic and about the time the aircraft got to the edge of the platform the aircraft engine started to lose power, the mgt ?pegged out? And the check-instrument light came on. After clearing the platform the low rotor RPM horn and light came on. Pilot stated that he shouted ?we are losing power and going in the water?, inflated the floats, leveled the aircraft and landed in the water. Pilot indicated that after landing, he lowered the collective and noticed that the mgt was still ?pegged out? And then closed the throttle, applied rotor brake and told everyone to get in the raft. Pilot followed the passengers after making a ?may day? Call and turned the overhead switches off. A boat nearby came to rescue them about 30 minutes in the raft. In accordance with iava?s dom the occupants were transported to a hospital for examinations, and no injuries were reported. Helicopter capsized during recovery onto a boat. Aircraft was recovered and secured at arrow aviation in broussard, LA. A rolls royce representative joined by a FAA airworthiness inspector from the baton route flight standard district office examined the engine and found a fracture on the combustor case welded joint. Rolls royce representative was having the engine sent to rolls royce in Indiana, at which point NTSB investigator will meet with them for further analysis.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 30, 2014, AROUND 10:45 AM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST) THE REPORTING INSPECTOR RECEIVED A CALL FROM WESTWIND AVIATION, INC. (IAVA) FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS INSPECTOR DAVID METZ. MR. METZ INDICATED THAT HE WAS CALLED AND NOTIFIED BY IAVA THAT ONE OF THEIR BELL 407 HELICOPTERS EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE POWER LOST AND THE PILOT HAD TO PUT THE HELICOPTER ON THE WATER. IAVA?S DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE (DOM) WAS CONTACTED BY ELECTRONIC MAIL (EMAIL) TO CONFIRM THIS INFORMATION. A REPLIED MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED FROM IAVA?S DOM INFORMING THE REPORTING INSPECTOR THAT ONE OF THEIR AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER ON TAKEOFF FROM A RIG AT EUGENE ISLAND 182 (APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES SOUTH OF ABBEVILLE, LOUISIANA). HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FLOATS WERE DEPLOYED AND THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SAFE AUTOROTATION TO THE WATER. FIVE PASSENGERS AND PILOT ON BOARD REPORTED ALL SAFELY MADE IT TO A LIFE RAFT AND SUBSEQUENTLY PICKED UP BY CREW BOAT AND TAKEN TO THE PLATFORM. NO INJURIES REPORTED.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PILOT?S REPORT DATED JUNE 2, 2014 AND IAVA DISCREPANCIES & MAINTENANCE REPORT NUMBER 13714, AFTER LOADING TWO PASSENGERS FROM EUGENE ISLAND 182A FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE PASSENGER, HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO ?FLY?, THEN SLOWLY PULLED IN POWER WITH COLLECTIVE TO COME TO A THREE FEET HOVER WITH TORQUE STARTING AT 65% THEN TO 70% AND 700 DEGREES MGT. PILOT INDICATED THAT HE BEGAN THE TAKEOFF WITH FORWARD CYCLIC AND ABOUT THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT GOT TO THE EDGE OF THE PLATFORM THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED TO LOSE POWER, THE MGT ?PEGGED OUT? AND THE CHECK-INSTRUMENT LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER CLEARING THE PLATFORM THE LOW ROTOR RPM HORN AND LIGHT CAME ON. PILOT STATED THAT HE SHOUTED ?WE ARE LOSING POWER AND GOING IN THE WATER?, INFLATED THE FLOATS, LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED IN THE WATER. PILOT INDICATED THAT AFTER LANDING, HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND NOTICED THAT THE MGT WAS STILL ?PEGGED OUT? AND THEN CLOSED THE THROTTLE, APPLIED ROTOR BRAKE AND TOLD EVERYONE TO GET IN THE RAFT. PILOT FOLLOWED THE PASSENGERS AFTER MAKING A ?MAY DAY? CALL AND TURNED THE OVERHEAD SWITCHES OFF. A BOAT NEARBY CAME TO RESCUE THEM ABOUT 30 MINUTES IN THE RAFT. IN ACCORDANCE WITH IAVA?S DOM THE OCCUPANTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL FOR EXAMINATIONS, AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. HELICOPTER CAPSIZED DURING RECOVERY ONTO A BOAT. AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND SECURED AT ARROW AVIATION IN BROUSSARD, LA. A ROLLS ROYCE REPRESENTATIVE JOINED BY A FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR FROM THE BATON ROUTE FLIGHT STANDARD DISTRICT OFFICE EXAMINED THE ENGINE AND FOUND A FRACTURE ON THE COMBUSTOR CASE WELDED JOINT. ROLLS ROYCE REPRESENTATIVE WAS HAVING THE ENGINE SENT TO ROLLS ROYCE IN INDIANA, AT WHICH POINT NTSB INVESTIGATOR WILL MEET WITH THEM FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.