This is one of two threads that might have been used for this post (the original one - containing notification of the accident - appears to have gone missing).
It is posted to highlight two elements which might have flagged a concern to the pilot (one on power reserves and the other on LTE) and triggered a risk assessment (the sort that is done on the spot once doubts are present).
As a matter of interest, in other parts of the world when there is exposure (e.g. probability of deck-edge strike), AEO HOGE has be ensured.
Mars
NTSB Identification: DFW07LA109
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Friday, May 11, 2007 in E. Cameron 219, GM
Aircraft: Bell 206B, registration: N3RL
Injuries: 2 Minor, 2 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On May 11, 2007, about 1245 central daylight time, a single-engine Bell 206B helicopter, N3RL, was substantially damaged when it collided with water shortly after takeoff from East Cameron 219, located in the Gulf of Mexico. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured. The remaining two passengers sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Rotorcraft Leasing Company, LLC., of Broussard, Louisiana. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. The cross-country flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot, he lifted the helicopter to a three-to-five-foot hover and performed a final check of the "gauges." Reportedly, the torque was indicating 96 percent and all other gauges were within "normal" parameters. The pilot then attempted to transition into forward flight. The pilot reported that the helicopter "appeared to settle as it approached the deck edge and did not feel like it was in transitional lift." After the helicopter crossed the edge of the deck, it entered into an uncommanded descent and right rotation. The pilot's attempts to regain control were unsuccessful. The pilot deployed the helicopter's emergency floats prior to impacting the water. The pilot and passengers were able to egress the helicopter into a life raft unassisted.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the helicopter once it was recovered. The inspector reported that the helicopter's fuselage sustained structural damage.
At 1253, the weather observation facility at LCH, which was located 45 miles north of the accident site, reported wind from 070 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear of clouds, temperature 79 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure of 29.97 inches of Mercury.