The pilot did a good job. Nothing happened apart from a steep bank, where in the regs does it say you can't make a steep turn! Obviously he should have flown into IMC, but he responded the right way.
Some of the reactions here are amazing and show an ignorance level that is breathtaking. The point is that the pilot could not have flown into IMC because the aircraft was a VFR machine.
Having the benefit of seeing at first hand the operational standards in the GOM by one large operator who's target is zero, I can well believe this incident happened. Have none of you read the 'Another accident in the GOM' thread??
Why do you think that a passenger who flies regularly offshore cannot voice his concerns about an incident. This site, as is often stated, is a rumour network. If you don't like what you read Darrenphughes then I suggest you stop reading and go back to JH.
The passenger may well have filed some kind of occurance report with his company but any oil company that allows it's empoyees to fly offshore in tired, old single engine, VFR machines is not going to take much notice.
I can imagine the reaction of an offshore passenger in Europe being told to climb aboard a Bell 206 to get to work. None of them are particularly overjoyed at having to fly in a helicopter but at least they know that they have a very good chance of actually getting to the platform without being scared out of their wits in a small, underpowered helicopter that has to fly around weather and is flown by one pilot who does not have the option of IFR and is under pressure to get the job done.