LAX96LA111

The pilot lifted off from the ship with the right rear skid still attached with a tie down rope. The aircraft rolled to the right and impacted the water inverted, sinking immediately. The floatation devices on the skids separated during the impact sequence. The pilot and the aircraft were not recovered due to the depth of the water. The operator reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the accident.

On January 29, 1996, at 1000 hours local ship time near Honiara in the Solomon Islands, a Bell 47G helicopter, N6569H, attempted a takeoff from a ship on a fish spotting mission. The aircraft rolled over on the starboard side of the ship and went into the ocean inverted. The fixed floats were torn from the aircraft and it sank immediately. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the helicopter, was not recovered and is presumed to have been fatally injured. The helicopter was not recovered due to the depth of the water.According to the operator, the right rear tie down strap for the right skid was not removed prior to liftoff. There were no reported mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the accident.