- Date
- October 22, 1990, 12:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Antarctica
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2294WBell 47G5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 27045
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain on adequate altitude while maneuvering above the water.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot of a bell 47G5 helicopter was operating from a ship at sea for the purpose of fish spotting and herding. The helicopter was in the process of herding fish into the deployed net when a rotor struck a swell. The helicopter collided with the water, rolled inverted, and sank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2294W
- Reported as
- Bell 47G5
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7969
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-B1A, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Larry Z. Fishing Co. Inc.
- Registered owner
- Larry Z Fishing Co., Inc
- Departed
- NONE
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,700 total · 180 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
Other investigations on N2294W · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.