ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 222867
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| Date: | Sunday 10 March 2019 |
| Time: | 12:03 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 407 |
| Owner/operator: | Bristow US LLC |
| Registration: | N577AL |
| MSN: | 53247 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1998 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 20264 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C47B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Galliano, LA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Offshore |
| Departure airport: | Galliano, LA (2LS0) |
| Gulf of Mexico, LA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot of the helicopter departed on the flight to transport the passenger to an offshore platform; several minutes before the accident, he transmitted a pilot report describing a cloud ceiling about 700 ft above ground level and 6 statute miles visibility. Onboard data indicated that the helicopter entered a descending left turn from about 300 ft above ground level that continued until the helicopter impacted a marsh.
The turn to the north was not consistent with the intended route of flight. The characteristics of the turn as it tightened over the last 25 seconds of the flight (increasing roll, decreasing pitch, and vertical descent rate) are consistent with the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation and loss of control. The restricted visual references resulting from the low cloud ceilings and flight over a body of water that lacked significant contrasting terrain features would have been conducive to the development of spatial disorientation; and the low altitude in which he was flying would have limited his available time to recover.
Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of control during cruise flight as a result of spatial disorientation while operating the helicopter in close proximity to terrain in marginal meteorological conditions.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN19FA095
Location
Images:
Photo (c): NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Mar-2019 10:03 | gerard57 | Added |
| 12-Mar-2019 10:08 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Narrative] |
| 12-Mar-2019 10:33 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 23-Mar-2019 13:46 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 23-Mar-2019 13:46 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 30-Jul-2019 08:48 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
| 28-Sep-2020 11:23 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
| 19-Nov-2020 21:49 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Mar-2021 20:35 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative, Photo] |
| 29-Mar-2021 18:43 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
| 29-Mar-2021 19:03 | harro | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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