Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
W. Cameron 240
Friday, October 29, 1993 10:15 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY TO AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WEATHER AND LANDED AT ANOTHER PLATFORM SHORT OF HIS DESTINATION. THE WEATHER WAS FORECAST AND BRIEFED TO THE PILOT. AFTER A BRIEF DELAY, HE TOOK OFF AGAIN, BUT AGAIN ENCOUNTERED WEATHER AND ATTEMPTED TO DIVERT TO A THIRD PLATFORM. UNABLE TO REACH EITHER HIS DESTINATION OR OTHER PLATFORMS, THE PILOT SET UP AN ORBIT TO WAIT OUT THE THUNDERSTORMS AND SQUALLS IN THE AREA. THE PASSENGERS STATED THE PILOT MADE 4 OR 5 ORBITS DURING WHICH HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AND IT BEGAN DESCENDING. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WAS ABOUT TO WARN THE PILOT OF HIS LOW ALTITUDE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY A 15 FOOT SWELL AND ROLLED INTO THE WATER. ALL 3 OCCUPANTS WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE WRECKAGE AND INFLATE THEIR LIFE VESTS. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS SWAM ABOUT 2 MILES TO A RIG AND REPORTED THE ACCIDENT. BOTH PASSENGERS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY RESCUED ABOUT 10 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HOWEVER; WHEN RESCUERS FOUND THE PILOT, HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS, FLOATING FACE DOWN IN THE WATER. DURING THE ATTEMPTED RECOVERY, HIS LIFE VEST CAME OFF AND HE SANK BELOW THE SURFACE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE WHILE MANEUVERING. FACTORS WERE HIS CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER AND HIS SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/29/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1015 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | W. CAMERON 240 |
| Event State | GULF OF MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00000 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 315 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 35 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Heavy |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1397 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 29 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2045 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N360S |
| NTSB Number | FTW94LA021 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2217 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 2 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 876 |
| Airframe Hours | 8162 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OFFSHORE LOGISTICS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 224 RUE DE JEAN |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAFAYETTE |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70508 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SEAHAWK SERVICES, LTD. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P. O. BOX 690928 |
| Operator City | HOUSTON |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 77269 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | W. CAMERON 192 |
| Departure State | GM |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 959 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | W. CAMERON 253 |
| Destination State | GM |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |