S76 down in GOM

[Hippolite]

An S76A++ is missing in the GOM. The aircraft operated by Lake Charles LA based ERA Aviation has not been heard from or seen since 19.30 hours last night March 23rd. Coast Guard and other helicopters ar carrying out a search.

[Heliport]

11 News Texas report
Coast Guard searches for missing chopper; 10 people aboard

Houston 08:46 AM CST Wed March 24, 2004

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday morning about 90 miles south of Galveston for a missing helicopter with 10 people onboard.

The ERA Aviation S76 helicopter departed Shoals Field in Galveston at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday en route to the 835-foot exploratory ship Discovery Spirit, located approximately 130 miles east of South Padre Island.

The last reported contact with the helicopter was at 7:12 p.m. Tuesday when the pilot, Tim O'Neal of El Lago, Texas, reported they where en route to the ship. At the time of the radio transmission, the helicopter was approximately 90 miles south of Galveston.

A helicopter and Falcon Jet from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, and a helicopter form Air Station Houston are searching Wednesday morning, and four merchant ships transiting the area are also assisting the Coast Guard in the search.

The Coast Guard has issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) asking mariners to report any information they may have about the missing helicopter, and to request assistance with the search from any vessels near the search area.

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/08/19/explosion.deaths.02/texas.galveston.lubbock.jpg

The Discoverer Spirit is a drilling unit designed around the normal hull of a ship. http://www.cleddau.com/images/Discoverer_Spirit.jpg

[Helipolarbear]

HOUSTON - The Coast Guard was searching the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday for a helicopter that disappeared with 10 people aboard.



The helicopter last had radio contact on Tuesday night when it was about 90 miles south of Galveston. It was heading to an oil exploratory ship in the gulf, Discoverer Spirit.


"We are hoping that something went wrong and they maybe landed on a different platform," Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Adam Wine said. "We are hoping for the best."


No signs of the helicopter were found overnight. There were no reports of bad weather, Wine said.


The pilot, co-pilot and eight passengers were believed to be wearing lifejackets, Coast Guard Petty Officer Andy Kendrick said.


"It just depends on how they landed," Kendrick said. "We just keep searching, hoping they are alive."


Coast Guard officials were searching near a mile-long oil slick 120 miles south of Galveston. Officials did not know what caused the slick.


"We have concentrated our search in that area to see if that might be any indication of where the aircraft might have went down if it went down," Wine said.


Water temperatures in the area average in the upper 60s at this time of year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. An 87-foot patrol boat, four offshore supply vessels and two commercial aircraft were among those helping in the search.


The Coast Guard identified the pilot as Tim O'Neal of El Largo, but did not identify the others. The helicopter is owned by Alaska-based Era Aviation Inc. and was chartered by El Segundo, Calif.-based oil exploration and production company Unocal.


A Unocal spokeswoman said the company was still gathering information early Wednesday.


Mona Morris, who works for Era Aviation in Lake Charles, La., said the company had no further information Wednesday. Guy Cantwell, a spokesman for Transocean Inc., an offshore drilling company, said his company owns the drill ship the helicopter was traveling to, but none of the company's employees were aboard.


The twin-engine helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76A, can hold up to 12 passengers and is described on Era Aviation's Web site as a reliable helicopter that can fly at night and in bad weather.


Era Aviation's employees are trained on sophisticated flight simulators and are taught water survival skills, according to the Web site.


Offshore helicopter flights to oil rigs, platforms and ships are common, said Era Aviation employee Frank Draves.


"There are 600 helicopters or so along the Gulf Coast and they are moving ... thousands of passengers a day from everywhere along the Gulf Coast to everywhere in the Gulf," he said.


___

[Barannfin]

I dont know what the conditions are right now down there, but my prayers are with the crew and their families... :sad: I hope there is good news in the morning.

[rotorusa]

No good news I'm afraid. The aircraft has reportedly been located and there are casualties. Weather in the Western Gulf was good and is likely not a factor. My thoughts are with family and friends of those onboard.

[Heliport]

Times Picayune report Coast Guard finds four bodies in search for helicopter

HOUSTON (AP) -- Four bodies believed to be from a helicopter carrying 10 people that vanished in the Gulf of Mexico were found late Wednesday afternoon about 60 miles south of Galveston, where the helicopter departed a day earlier.

An offshore supply vessel assisting in the search discovered two bodies about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Thirty minutes later, a separate debris field and two additional bodies were located nearby. A lifejacket has also been found with the words "Property of Era" on it.

The helicopter was owned by Alaska-based Era Aviation, Inc.

The search continued for the helicopter passengers.

"We are focused on searching and recovering these victims," Coast Guard spokesman Chad Saylor said. "The Coast Guard cutter Manta is en route to the scene to assist it the recovery."

Saylor said the search, which had concentrated on an oil slick about 100 miles south of Galveston, was moving north toward the debris field.

"We hope to find somebody out there alive," Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Adam Wine said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family members."

The helicopter last made radio contact Tuesday night about 90 miles south of Galveston. The Discoverer Spirit, located about 130 miles east of South Padre Island, is owned by offshore drilling company Transocean, Inc.

Wine said no bad weather was reported at the time of the helicopter's last call from its pilot shortly after 7 p.m.

The total search area encompassed 2,800 square miles. An 87-foot patrol boat, five offshore supply vessels, two Coast Guard jets, a helicopter and two commercial aircraft were among those searching.

[Time Out]

Search for missing helicopter stalls

By MARK BABINECK
The Associated Press
3/25/04 4:31 PM

HOUSTON (AP) -- Prospects for finding survivors from a missing helicopter dimmed Thursday as searchers came up empty a day after finding four bodies and pieces of wreckage.

The Era Aviation Inc. helicopter last reported in at about 7 p.m. Tuesday as it ferried two pilots and eight contractors to a drilling ship in the western Gulf of Mexico. Among the items found floating Wednesday about 60 miles south of Galveston was an Era life jacket.

According to Chief Warrant Officer Adam Wine of the Coast Guard, a normally clothed person could expect to last about 30 hours in the Gulf waters, where temperatures are estimated in the upper 60s.

"But individuals can often overcome more," Wine said.

A Coast Guard jet used infrared scanners to search through Wednesday night and early Thursday. Helicopters hit the air for a second day shortly after dawn but had come up empty as of early Thursday afternoon.

"We are actively searching," Wine said. "There are still people out there."

High seas hampered ship-based efforts Thursday morning, Wine said.

The Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday identified the bodies as helicopter pilot Tim B. O'Neal, 50, of El Lago, Texas; co-pilot Donald J. Janning, 46, of Monument, Colo.; and contractors Trampas Terwillegar, 27, from Rayne, La.; and Tyler Breaux, 23, hometown unknown.

Among the six still missing were contractors Jason Petitjean, 34, of Rayne, and David Kamolsiri, 24, of Houston. The names of the other four passengers have not been released.

More debris was discovered Thursday morning in the search for the twin-engine helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76A that was headed to the ship Discoverer Spirit. The ship, owned by Houston-based Transocean Inc., is working about 130 miles east of South Padre Island.

All aboard the helicopter were believed to be wearing life jackets, Coast Guard Petty Officer Andy Kendrick said.

The helicopter was chartered by El Segundo, Calif.-based oil exploration and production company Unocal. The passengers were contractors hired by Unocal: Four were employees of Halliburton Co., two were from Offshore Energy Services, one from Dril-Quip and one from Unocal.
source (http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?n3194_BC_TX--MissingHelicopter&&news&newsflash-louisiana)

[Nigel Osborn]

Sad to read about yet another offshore tragedy. I hope they can find the 76 and then the cause and work out a way to prevent a repeat. It sounds as though the 76 is well broken up from all the bits found.
I wonder if it was fitted with an underwater sonic locator. Some years ago one of our 76s ditched very hard but flat with no airspeed into the sea and sank in 90 feet. All 14 died from spinal injuries and no one had water in their lungs and were still strapped in which shows the toughness of the 76. Divers went down the next day in the filthy water with zero vis and homed into the 76, bumping into it before they could see it. The next day the 76 was in our hangar, the fault discovered and a mod put out to prevent a repeat.
So let's hope some good comes out of this tragedy.

[Steve76]

Nigel,

I don't know if no water in the lungs is due to spinal injury. Generally it is considered cold water drowning where the intake closes and prevents water entering the lungs.

Sad situation regardless...

[Time Out]

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- Four more bodies were found early Friday among debris from a helicopter carrying 10 people that went down in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week, the Coast Guard said.

Friday's discovery raises to eight the number of victims found. The Coast Guard said the search for the other two was continuing.

The twin-engine helicopter, owned by Era Aviation and chartered by the oil company Unocal, was headed to a ship owned by an offshore drilling company when it vanished Tuesday evening.

The first bodies were found about 60 miles south of Galveston on Wednesday.

Friday morning, a private ship helping out in the search located pieces of the helicopter's wreckage about 70 miles south of Galveston, Coast Guard Petty Officer Andy Kendrick said. A remote camera was sent to search the water, and the four bodies were spotted between 100 feet and 150 feet below the surface.

"They are currently being recovered," Kendrick said. "We are going to do it as quickly as we possibly can."

A jet, a helicopter and a patrol boat from the Coast Guard, as well as various private ships and aircraft continue searching for the other two individuals, Kendrick said.
source (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Southwest/03/26/missing.helicopter.ap/)

[Heliport]

Rocky Mountain News Helicopter co-pilot died living dream job
Colo. man on craft lost off Texas coast
March 26, 2004

Donald J. Janning grew up to be something special, his mother fondly remembered Thursday.
Janning, who lived in Monument, served in the Army for 20 years, working on intelligence, and retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

But Marilyn Hook, Janning's mother, knew her son wanted to fulfill a lifetime dream: He wanted to fly helicopters. Four years ago, Janning took flying lessons in Louisiana.
This week, Janning, 46, died "doing what he loved to do," his mother said.

Janning, who was co-pilot, and pilot Tim B. O'Neal, 50, of El Lago, Texas, were taking eight contractors in a twin-engine Sikorsky S-76A to a drilling ship when the helicopter disappeared, the Coast Guard said. It was last heard from Tuesday night.

Search and rescue crews found four victims and debris in the water about 60 miles south of Galveston, Texas. The Coast Guard continued to search for the others.

Hook said her son was working for Era Aviation Inc., which is based in Lake Charles, La. Era Aviation is considered the oldest helicopter firm in the country and often ferries clients, who specialize in petroleum, between U.S. shores and oil rigs in the gulf.

Janning was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He signed up for flying lessons when he was a high school senior.
"He loved flying and being up there in the air," his mother said. "He loved it so much every time he could get to fly around."

Janning attended the University of Dayton before enlisting in the Army and serving in Germany, Kuwait and South Korea. Yet Janning did not pursue aviation training in the military, his mother said.
But when he retired from the service and returned to his Fairfax, Va., home his aviation career took off, Hook said.
One of his first accomplishments was to build a single-engine plane in his basement. Using a plane-manufacturing kit and other parts, Janning finished his plane in about a year. "He flew it, and it was successful," his mother said.

Afterward, Janning took helicopter flying lessons, earned his license and joined Era Aviation.
"He absolutely was in his glory when he was flying up there," Hook said.

Janning is survived by his wife, Diana, three daughters and four stepchildren. The second of five children, Janning also is survived by three brothers and a sister.

[Time Out]

From HoustonChronicle (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2470233) The Coast Guard Friday night ended its air and sea search in the Gulf of Mexico for the two men still missing after the crash of a helicopter that carried 10 passengers.

Wreckage of the helicopter resting in 186 feet of water and containing four bodies was discovered about 4 a.m. Friday by a private vessel about 60 miles south of Galveston.
...
The crew of the motor vessel Midnight Wrangler, equipped with sonar and a remote camera, located the wreckage of the 12-passenger Sikorsky helicopter, Kendrick said.
...
Coast Guard officials said oilfield supply vessels along with Coast Guard surface vessels recovered debris, including personal effects such as hats, clothing and shoes. The helicopter's locating device was also recovered, but Coast Guard officials could not immediately say if the device was operable.

And from News24Houston (http://www.news24houston.com/content/headlines/?ArID=26212&SecID=2) Four more bodies have been recovered Saturday from a helicopter that went down in the Gulf of Mexico. Searchers also found the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder.

[S76Heavy]

Any new information about this tragedy?

[Hippolite]

Heard that the CVR was located and is either in or on its way to Washington for analysis. There was no FDR as the aircraft was "exempt" from having one according to the FAA regulations.

Hopefully, we will find out more soon...

HH

[Heliport]

Associated Press Crews recover final two victims from downed helicopter

3/30/04 - HOUSTON — The bodies of the final two missing passengers aboard a helicopter that vanished into the Gulf of Mexico with 10 people aboard have been recovered, the company that chartered the flight said Tuesday.

Jason Petitjean, 34, of Rayne, La., and Jeff Langley, 42, of Kountze, Texas, were recovered late Monday night from the Gulf's floor. Both were contractors for Unocal, an El Segundo, Calif.-based oil exploration and production company, when the helicopter disappeared on its way to a drilling ship in the Gulf.

"It's a sad relief would be the way to put it," said Unocal spokeswoman Christine LeLaurin. "The families have a chance to reach some closure. Everyone worked very hard to do their best in this recovery operation. We wished it would have had some different results."

The question now turns to what brought down the Sikorsky S-76A owned by Alaska-based Era Aviation Inc.

National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Lorenda Ward said the agency should have retrieved most of the wreckage needed to complete its investigation by Tuesday.

The helicopter took off from an airfield in Galveston and was headed to a drill ship working near South Padre Island. The aircraft was 90 miles south of Galveston when the pilot made his last radio contact.

Remains of four people and a life vest were found a day later floating in the Gulf. Another four bodies were located Friday on the sea's floor among the wreckage but couldn't be recovered until Saturday morning. Most of the wreckage was found about 70 miles south of Galveston. I'm sure the families and friends of all those who lost their lives are in our thoughts and prayers.

Heliport

[Cyclic Hotline]

NTSB link (http://www.ntsb.gov/pressrel/2004/040330.htm)

NTSB Advisory

National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
March 30, 2004

UPDATE ON NTSB INVESTIGATION INTO CRASH OF S-76A HELICOPTER IN GULF OF MEXICO


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is an update of the NTSB's investigation into the crash of an ERA Aviation, Inc. Sikorsky S-76A twin- engine turbine powered helicopter (N579EH) on Tuesday evening, March 23, 2004 in the Gulf of Mexico.

The aircraft, chartered by Unocal of Houston, Texas, departed Scholes International Airport near Galveston, Texas at approximately 6:45 p.m. CST. Its intended destination was High Island A 557 refueling platform, and then an offshore drilling ship. There were 2 crewmembers and 8 passengers aboard.

At 7:23 p.m., the company dispatcher attempted to contact the pilot of the aircraft but received no response. Floating wreckage was found the following day, and a debris field was located in the early morning on March 26, about 70 miles offshore. The debris field is 300 feet by 600 feet and sits in 180 feet of water. The wreckage is reported to be extremely fragmented. The remains of all 10 occupants have been recovered.

There are 5 vessels involved in the search and recovery operation. Most of the aircraft's wreckage has been raised to the ocean surface and will be delivered to a facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana, for examination by the Safety Board's team.

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) has been recovered and has been transferred to the Safety Board's laboratory in Washington, D.C. It is of solid state design with 30-minute recording capability (earlier, preliminary information from the company that this was a 2-hour recorder was incorrect). Only one channel of the CVR was recording, the cockpit area microphone. Because of high ambient noise in the cockpit, the recording is unusable for voices. A sound spectrum analysis is being conducted on the recording.

The flight crew records have been reviewed. The captain had 7,256 total hours as of the end of February, including 5,291 as pilot in command of helicopters. His Air Transport Pilot license was in rotary and multi-engine fixed wing aircraft. His total time flying in the Gulf of Mexico was almost 3,900 hours. The second in command had 1,930 total hours, with 1,372 as pilot in command of helicopters. He had a commercial rotorwing license and was a certified instrument flight instructor. His total Gulf time was 1,013 hours. Both pilots had attended S-76A recurrent training in February.

On the morning of the accident, the airframe had 10,075 hours, and the engines had 4,519 and 2,052 hours respectively. The day before the accident a 30-hour inspection and a 300-hour inspection on the main rotor blade were accomplished. The 25-hour tail rotor spar inspection and an airworthiness check had been accomplished two hours before the aircraft departed.

The Safety Board's team is led by Investigator-in- Charge Lorenda Ward. Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, ERA Aviation, Sikorsky and Unocal.

The Board's investigation continues.

NTSB Media Contact: Ted Lopatkiewicz, (202) 314-6100

[Hippolite]

I haven't posted this as a link but go to www.klfy.com

Klfy is a Louisiana TV station. Speculation here from the Crash Investigator points to a possible cause. Unusual so early in the investigation.

Independent source close to the investigation told me that they have, as yet, found no obvious mechanical failure.

HH:(

[Helipolarbear]

This is the content with the 'Hint' included!!!

New information has been released about the final minutes of an Era Aviation helicopter that was lost in the Gulf of Mexico last week.

The information hints at a possible cause for last Tuesday's crash.

The crash claimed the lives of the chopper's two man crew and their eight passengers.

Crash investigators spent Thursday scouring the wreckage of a Sikorsky S76 helicopter that was lost last Tuesday night in the Gulf of Mexico.

And, Eyewitness News was the only media outlet allowed access to the process.

Chuck Huebner: It's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together...

Lorenda Ward/Crash Investigator: Yes. It is...

As those pieces begin to fall into place, a clearer picture of what may have happened is beginning to emerge.

While it's still early in the investigation, this new information sets forth one possible scenario that would explain why the helicopter and its two man crew never got off a may-day or distress call.

They may not have known they were in trouble, until it was too late.

Chuck Huebner: So, it either happened very fast or very slowly...

Lorenda Ward/Crash Investigator: That's right...

The Sikorsky S76, as operated by Era Aviation is basically the civilian version of the Army Blackhawk, a sturdy aircraft equipped with both radio and telephone communications equipment.

But, if the crew didn't know they were in trouble, there would have been no need to use it.

According to crash investigators, the last radar contact with the helicopter Tuesday night indicated the chopper was cruising at 1800 feet.

But, it wasn't flying level.

It was descending at a rate of approximately 200 feet per minute, so slowly, the crew might not have been aware of it.

Keep in mind that this is just one possible scenario.

A complete examination of the helicopter's flight control instrumentation and its engines must still be completed.

Until then, crash investigators will not speculate on a possible cause.


As ever, the NTSB/FAA AIU will no doubt reveal the cause of the crash...if it can be determined.

[donut king]

Hi TomOz!

I dunno about that!!

They were over the "black" ocean I believe( night VFR, may as well be IFR/IMC) in a very smooth a/c. I've set the autopilot on my 76 at 200rod bugged....it's very slow and insidious!!! If I didn't monitor properly, I could see myself busting an altitude.

But, all in conjecture regarding this accident.

I am not attributing this accident to CFIT.....just a general point of discussion.

D.K

[GLSNightPilot]

They wouldn't be the first crew to fail to see a rate of descent until too late, if that did indeed happen. I can say that it was very black that night, with zero moon illumination, and little starlight. Beyond that, I can't speculate.

I must say one thing in defense of the accident investigator quoted, though. From reading the story, the speculation seems to be the reporter's, as usual. His oh so insightful questions and remarks seem fairly typical of reporters in general, and TV reporters especially. The statement that the S76 is the civil version of the Blackhawk is laughable. There is no quote from the investigator indicating any speculation, and in fact it is stated that the team refused to speculate, as is normal.

[Islander Jock]

Guys,
I am not a helo pilot but I do train pax and aircrew in HUET and general aviation safety.

Could someone please clarify the following for me:
In other areas of the world where I have worked in the oil and gas industry, flights at night are generally undertaken only for urgent medivac. Are night transfer flights the norm in GOM or is it the requirment to land and depart the platform / vessell during daylight hours and the flight may then be completed at night?

Very sad whatever the cause:( and it makes my job that little bit harder when I have to convince inexperienced flyers about the safety and reliability of overwater helicopter flights.

My sincere condolences to all involved and affected by this tragedy.

[Red Wine]

Can anyone advise as to the level of "Stability / Auto Pilot" this helicopter had installed??

Hamilton Standard ll, lll or a Sperry System?

[Thomas coupling]

Flying into the water with an imperceptable ROD can and does happen.

S61 Penzance to Scillies late 1980's early 90's I believe. Goldfish bowl conditions over a glassy sea. Flew straight onto the water at cruise speed. Killed a few, too.

[rotormat]

Unless the machines in the GOM are set up different to the rest of the offshore world i doubt them flying into the sea in the cruise would have been the cause.

It should have had a serviceable SPWS (Surface Proximity Warning System) which warns the pilots when they are decending through 1000' (depending on their company NOP's) and then another more urgent warning decending through 100'. I doubt given the type of operation and experience of the pilots that they both would have ignored such warnings.

On an offshore operation with two pilots, decending into the sea at night would be more likley to occur on approach to a moving vessel than in the cruise!? This is one of the reasons why this type of operation has two pilots.

Recently in the UK a 76 suffered a main blade failure from lightning damage.

This accident sounds very similar to that. :( Let's wait and see what the ATSB come up with before we jump on the blame the pilots bandwagon.

The poor bastards probably never had a chance RIP!!:(

[GLSNightPilot]

Rotormat, I don't know of any helicopters in the GOM that have GPWS installed. They aren't required by law, thus no one spends the money for them.

Islander, night flights in the GOM are rather common. Most of what we do are either medevacs or parts runs for broken drilling rigs, but flights just to take people out, or bring them in, because they didn't get done during the day aren't uncommon. This flight was supposedly to a drill ship under way moving from one end of the Gulf to another, to take personnel for the new customer so they would be on board at arrival. This isn't at all unusual. There are also many night flights to and from supertankers.

[donut king]

Rotormat!

Are all offshore machines required by law to have GPWS as per Australian air reg's?

Not a requirement in Canada or the U.S( American dudes please confirm!).

If that's the case, awesome for you guys, and behind the times for us.

D.K

[rotormat]

Not 100% but will check and get back to you on the SPWS (Also known as AVAD- Automatice Voice Alerting Device) legislation in AUS and the UK. Certainly it is the standard equipment for all machines operating offshore in the UK and AUS. Could be a client requirement, but then our clients are your clients so i doubt it i imagine it must be legislation or they wouldn't do it.

There just as tight over here and we only get the minimum equipment to do the job! ;)

Just so you understand the GWPS we use works through our RADALT's (Radio Altimeters). We definatly have to have this for offshore in AUS and these are in all offshore helicopters in the UK and AUS.

I thought we worked to FAA reg's for most things to keep us aligned with ICAO. Must not in this case?

[Mars]

Rotormat:I thought we worked to FAA reg's for most things to keep us aligned with ICAO. Must not in this case?That was a humorous remark - right.

I think you have confused some on this thread - the equipment you mention is a standard RADALT with an AVAD: two settings are available; that which is set by the pilot; and the factory preset warning (in the UK set to 100'). The first gives "check height" and the second "100 feet" (or whatever is the factory preset).

[Hippolite]

Rotormat

I am afraid that your inexperience on international industry requirements shows by your assumption that all aircraft are equipped equally.

In the USA, there is no AVAD requirement legistlatively,. Customers can want it, but it is not certified by the FAA so not as easy as you might think.

There are many discrepancies between the FARs, CARs and ICAO.

Aircraft in the GOM still fly with one way fuel to some places....try getting that approved in UK or Australia. The world is not a level playing field in terms of equipment and even customer requirements I'm afraid.

[rotormat]

"I think you have confused some on this thread - the equipment you mention is a standard RADALT with an AVAD: two settings are available; that which is set by the pilot; and the factory preset warning (in the UK set to 100'). The first gives "check height" and the second "100 feet" (or whatever is the factory preset)."

Mars the AVAD system we have works through the RADALTS. The "check height" aural warning occurs when the helicopter decends through the lowest RADALT bug setting (set by either pilot from 0 to 2500' on our radalts) the 100' aural warning works when the helicopter decends through 100' on the radalts.

The AVAD system can be u/s and the RADALT's will still work normally. You may or not get the check height or 100' aural warnings depending on the problem with the AVAD system.

In AUS you can go DAY VFR OFFSHORE with either Radalts or AVAD U/S. NVFR or IFR depends on clients and other considerations.


Anyway back to the original thread issue, is there any news on the ATSB investigation?

[pitchlink]

I understand that the rad alt on this particular aircraft was U/S at the time of the incident. Maybe someone in the GOM may have a comment on this, they may know otherwise.

[HOSS 1]

***Latest Release ***


National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

April 13, 2004

************************************************************

SECOND UPDATE ON NTSB INVESTIGATION INTO MARCH 23
CRASH OF HELICOPTER IN GULF OF MEXICO
************************************************************

The following is an update of the NTSB's investigation into the crash of
an ERA Aviation, Inc. Sikorsky S-76A++ twin-engine turbine powered helicopter
(N579EH) on Tuesday, March 23, 2004, in the Gulf of Mexico.

The on-scene portion of the accident investigation concluded on Saturday,
April 3. Before the investigative team left, a sweeper ship dragged the debris
field for small parts of the wreckage that might still have been there. Those
parts (probably comprising about 1 percent of the aircraft) were delivered to
Lake Charles, Louisiana, where they were documented and secured with the rest of
the wreckage.

A number of pieces of wreckage have been forwarded to the Safety Board's
laboratory in Washington, D.C. for further examination. Among them are the
first 20 feet of the tail rotor drive shaft and two hanger bearings, the caution
advisory panel from the cockpit, the servo actuator valve for the landing gear,
the airspeed indicator, both altimeters and the radio select panel.

Other components were sent to their manufacturers for further examination
under NTSB supervision later this month. They are the engines and electrical
tachometer boxes to Turbomeca in Grand Prairie, Texas; the main, interim, and
tail gear boxes to Sikorsky in Shelton, Connecticut; and the symbol generator to
Sperry Aerospace (now Honeywell) in Phoenix, Arizona. The Global Positioning
System was sent to Free Flight Systems in Waco, Texas, where an attempt was made
to download the data; this attempt was unsuccessful, presumably because the
unit's submersion in salt water depleted the battery.

Radar data have been examined. The data indicate that the helicopter was
cruising at 1,800 feet when it started a descent at about 250 feet per minute to
1,100 feet. At that point radar contact was lost (radar coverage is limited at
lower altitudes that distance from the radar site), but the wreckage was found
about 40 miles from the last radar hit and about 15 miles from the last routine
radio call from the flight crew.

The Board's investigation into this crash continues.

[overtorqued]

Firstly, My condolences to all the families / friends of those recently departed.

250'/min....1000' in 4 mins.
Wreckage appx 40nm from last radar contact
Cruise speed of SK-76 - 130kts (or better) (appx 2.1nm/min)
Last radar contact at 1100' ( appx 4mins 20sec to '0' alt)


Looks like there maybe more to this than simple CFIT(W)
Many of us offshore drivers will watch this one closely, anyone with up to date info....please keep us informed

[Shawn Coyle]

Was the radar altimeter unserviceable?
If so, is there a MEL permitting it to be flown at night over water without the radar altimeter?
Could be an interesting development.

[Mars]

JAR-OPS MEL Policy Document (the baseline document for all operational equipment) would have allowed the flight to launch with a RADALT unserviceable:(O) May be inoperative provided :

(a) It is not reasonably practical to repair or replace
the Radio Altimeter before the commencement
of flight,

(b)No more than 6 hours shall be flown over water
since the Radio Altimeter became unserviceable,

(c)Not more than 24 hours have elapsed since the
Radio Altimeter became unserviceable,

(d)The aircraft shall not fly overwater at an altitude of
less than 500 feet except for take-off and landing,

and

(e) The helicopter shall not descend below 500 feet on
approach to landing overwater unless the landing
site is clearly visible to the pilot.Cannot find an entry in the FAA MMEL (could signify that it is not permitted to be unserviceable; or, it is not considered - period).

[Gomer Pylot]

Each Part 135 operator will have a specific MEL for each aircraft model. I haven't seen Era's MEL for the S76, but it's likely that the radar altimeter can be MEL'd, as every one I've seen for other operators allows it, and a radar altimeter is not required to be installed. Generally the only restriction is that OSAPs (Offshore Standard Approach Procedures) in IMC must have the minimums raised depending on the distance of the approach platform from an altimeter source. The FAA is apparently more liberal than European and Canadian agencies, because there are few requirements for flying at night over water or anywhere else. FAR 91 requirements for night flight pretty much cover Part 135 operations, and they don't require much. Right or wrong (and I think wrong) you can go out in a standard Robinson in the middle of the night. Currently floats aren't even required.

I would also say that the descent described isn't unusual. Perhaps they descended because of a thin layer of clouds, and wanted to be under them. I also heard that they planned to refuel in the vicinity of the crash site, but cancelled the refuelling stop because enough fuel was aboard to reach the ship, which I'm sure had fuel available. Perhaps they descended, intending to land, then continued at the lower altitude. I wouldn't rush to presume that they continued the descent into the water. We hope the NTSB finds the cause of the accident quickly.

It's a real shame that there is such poor radar and comm coverage out there. The Congress has authorized money to install more facilities, but the current administration has refused to spend it. They obviously have other priorities, and our safety isn't even a blip on their radar.