N2269V
BELL B 206B III
THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED ON A REVENUE FLIGHT FROM ONE OFFSHORE PLATFORM TO ANOTHER. THERE WERE NO RADIO CALLS TO INDICATE THAT THE FLIGHT HAD ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES. AN AIR SEARCH FOUND TWO OF THE THREE BODIES AND ASSORTED PIECES OF WRECKAGE ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE PLATFORM. NONE OF THE DRIVE TRAIN OR THE INSTRUMENTATION WAS RECOVERED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED THE WATER AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN AN UNCONTROLLED ATTITUDE. HOWEVER, THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF RECOVERED WRECKAGE PRECLUDED A DEFINITE DETERMINATION AS TO THE NATURE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WEATHER WAS CHARACTERIZED BY INDEFINITE 200 TO 400 FOOT CEILINGS, OBSCURED SKIES, AND 1 TO 1.5 MILES VISIBILITY IN LIGHT RAIN AND FOG WITH A TWO DEGREE TEMP/DEW POINT SPREAD. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT HAD RELATED TO THE CREW CHIEF THAT IF THE WEATHER BECAME TOO BAD HE WOULD TURN AROUND AND RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE PLATFORM.
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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