What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed ship shoal 349(SS349) a manned offshore oil platform at 1631HRS for abbeville airport(iya) with an ETA of 1755HRS. At 1720 company flight following received an overdue aircraft warning after the satellite tracking system was not able to "ping" the aircraft. At 1755HRS a pilot flying a similar route as the accident aircraft notified flight following, they had found the accident aircraft in the water inverted with the skid mounted emergency floats deployed. The pilot also noted they saw 2 persons on the belly of the aircraft. The aircraft coordinates were given to the coast guard for rescue operations. Passenger one, seated in the front left seat, indicated that the pilot appeared to have had a medical emergency and appeared to pass out at the controls. Passenger one reached over and attempted to bring the aircraft down. At about 90 feet the pilot slumped over the cyclic control stick which caused the aircraft to crash into the water nose first. Passenger two indicated he woke from a nap when he heard a change in the engine noise. He witnessed the pilot slumped over with passenger one attempting to control the aircraft. The aircraft appeared to sustain serious damage in the crash but broke apart from recovery efforts.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SHIP SHOAL 349(SS349) A MANNED OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORM AT 1631HRS FOR ABBEVILLE AIRPORT(IYA) WITH AN ETA OF 1755HRS. AT 1720 COMPANY FLIGHT FOLLOWING RECEIVED AN OVERDUE AIRCRAFT WARNING AFTER THE SATELLITE TRACKING SYSTEM WAS NOT ABLE TO "PING" THE AIRCRAFT. AT 1755HRS A PILOT FLYING A SIMILAR ROUTE AS THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT NOTIFIED FLIGHT FOLLOWING, THEY HAD FOUND THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT IN THE WATER INVERTED WITH THE SKID MOUNTED EMERGENCY FLOATS DEPLOYED. THE PILOT ALSO NOTED THEY SAW 2 PERSONS ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT COORDINATES WERE GIVEN TO THE COAST GUARD FOR RESCUE OPERATIONS. PASSENGER ONE, SEATED IN THE FRONT LEFT SEAT, INDICATED THAT THE PILOT APPEARED TO HAVE HAD A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND APPEARED TO PASS OUT AT THE CONTROLS. PASSENGER ONE REACHED OVER AND ATTEMPTED TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. AT ABOUT 90 FEET THE PILOT SLUMPED OVER THE CYCLIC CONTROL STICK WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO CRASH INTO THE WATER NOSE FIRST. PASSENGER TWO INDICATED HE WOKE FROM A NAP WHEN HE HEARD A CHANGE IN THE ENGINE NOISE. HE WITNESSED THE PILOT SLUMPED OVER WITH PASSENGER ONE ATTEMPTING TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO SUSTAIN SERIOUS DAMAGE IN THE CRASH BUT BROKE APART FROM RECOVERY EFFORTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.