Date:	23-MAR-2004
Time:	00:01 LT
Type:	Sikorsky S-76A
Owner/operator:	Era Aviation Inc.
Registration:	N579EH
MSN:	760274
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	70nm SW, Galveston, TX, Gulf of Mexico (GOM) -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Offshore
Departure airport:	Galveston, TX (GLS)
Destination airport:	Drillship Discovery Spirit, GOM
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
On March 23, 2004, about 1918:34 central standard time, an Era Aviation Sikorsky S-76A helicopter, N579EH, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico about 70 nautical miles south-southeast of Scholes International Airport (GLS), Galveston, Texas. The helicopter was transporting eight oil service personnel to the Transocean, Inc., drilling ship Discoverer Spirit, which was en route to a location about 180 miles south-southeast of GLS. The captain, copilot, and eight passengers aboard the helicopter were killed, and the helicopter was destroyed by impact forces. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a visual flight rules flight plan. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

Probable Cause: the flight crew's failure to identify and arrest the helicopter's descent for undetermined reasons, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040422X00501&key=1
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-06/02 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR0602.pdf

Safety recommendation A-06-19 issued 24 March 2006 by NTSB to FAA
Safety recommendation A-06-20 issued 24 March 2006 by NTSB to FAA
Safety recommendation A-06-21 issued 24 March 2006 by NTSB to FAA
Safety recommendation A-06-22 issued 24 March 2006 by NTSB to FAA

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Oct-2008 00:45	ASN archive	Added
12-Jun-2010 11:53	TB	Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Destination airport, Narrative]
19-Mar-2016 13:16	Aerossurance	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:24	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
24-Jun-2017 17:48	Aerossurance	Updated [Narrative]
07-Dec-2017 17:50	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Dec-2018 22:45	Aerossurance	Updated [Time, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
21-Mar-2021 11:47	Aerossurance	Updated [Operator, Nature, Source]