1000s of hours??
I spoke with Mike on numerous occasions when he started to set up Leeward Island Helicopters. I found him a very approachable and kind person, and he definitely had the best of intentions.
He gave me the same story about having 1000s of hours in both fixed wing and helicopters, and ATP in fixed wing. However looking at the FAA website, he is only listed as having a Helicopter PPL.
This indicates that all the flying he did for Leeward Island Helicopters was illegal.
And as Night VFR is illegal in the Caribbean, and him flying like this was a regular occurrence...why was he never stopped? Surely Juliana tower couldn't have been completely without knowledge?
It doesn't matter how nice of a guy he was, or how good his intentions were...or "the pressure he was under"...he did something illegal, made a poor judgment..and paid the ultimate price.
I flew the police helicopter out of St. Maarten for over 2 years, also a 44, and I know the pressure he was under. I was asked plenty of times to do night over water flights. Numerous medevacs with the "we have to go...he/she is going to die" clause attached. Also asked to go search for a man that fell off a boat. As hard as those decisions were, I said no. And I am sure that 1000s of other pilots make those same decisions every day.
As for the critically ill patient. After the helicopter didn't show up, he was put on a boat to St. Maarten. On arrival there he was flown by a different helicopter to Puerto Rico for treatment. That in itself raises some questions.