Here's another one from the day before although no injuries reported. Looks like a classic tail strike.

N330P, A BELL 206L-3 ROTORCRAFT, ON LANDING REPORTED FLYING DEBRIS FOLLOWED
BY AN UNCONTROLLABLE SPIN, MUSTANG ISLAND BLOCK A111, GULF OF MEXICO,
DERIDDER, LA

Not a good week for Airlog

Reading between the lines it sure seems these last two posts are actually the same prang with different levels of authenticity?????????????

Different tail numbers....different locations.:(

May I express sympathy with all of those who have lost as a result of hurricane 'Katrina'.

This is a fuller version of the accident that happened on the 18th August and which was posted earlier.

NTSB Identification: DFW05FA217
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, August 18, 2005 in
Aircraft: Bell 206B, registration: N167H
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

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 August 18, 2005, approximately 1410 central daylight time, a single-engine Bell 206B helicopter, N167H, registered to and operated by Air Logistics LLC of New Iberia, Louisiana, was destroyed when it impacted water following a collision with an oil platform while landing on an offshore oil platform, West Cameron (WC) 560 located in the Gulf of Mexico. The commercial pilot and mechanic received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 91 positioning flight. The local flight originated from a nearby platform, WC 645 at 13:59.

Two witnesses on the oil platform at the time of the accident reported the helicopter approached the platform from the south. The witnesses then stated that as the helicopter headed for the heliport, it "sounded like it lost power and started dropping rapidly." The witnesses lost sight of the helicopter as it descended below the platform's living quarters. They then heard the helicopter contact the oil platform and fall into the water below. The emergency floats did not deploy and the helicopter quickly sank.

The helicopter was retrieved from approximately 190 feet of water, and transported to a secured maintenance facility located in New Iberia, Louisiana.

Another GOM Accident but not too serious.

Standard helideck markings (a circle) would help prevent this....so easy but so hard for the Gomers to do....why?


LOCATION
City: PATTERSON State: LA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
N15Q, A BELL 206B ROTORCRAFT, DURING HOVER WHILE LANDING, STRUCK A FOUR
FOOT VENTILATION STACK, SHIP SHOAL 79, 40 SOUTHEAST OF PATTERSON, LA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 2 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: METAR KPTN 171355Z 31003KT CLR 28/23 A3006

OTHER DATA

Departed: Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: Flt Plan: Wx Briefing:
Last Radio Cont:
Last Clearance:

FAA FSDO: BATON ROUGE, LA (SW03) Entry date: 07/18/2006

See the discussion on the touchdown/positioning markings (aiming circle) in this thread:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...57#post2733657

Jim

Even with markings one has to stay within them. GOM decks are usually very small...used by more than one aircraft at a time...and maintenance standards leave a bit to be desired. Throw in the general attitude regarding safety by some of the bottom feeders that own the decks....and accidents will happen.

I don't know about this particular deck, but it's not uncommon for the decks to be so small as to make aiming circles useless. 24'x24' is common, and that size deck gives just enough room to get the skids on the platform, with the tail hanging over the edge. Common practice is to put the nose close to the edge, leaving just enough room to walk in front of it. On some of these so-called helidecks, you will still have t/r obstructions on one or more sides, and if you turn the wrong way you're going to hit something, and an aiming circle just puts you closer to the obstacles if you stay in it.

Is this about average on the GOM installations Gomer, or do they come much smaller ?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...58TopDeck1.jpg

They get a lot smaller than that.

barryb

That's about average. At least there aren't many obstacles sticking up, only the flare boom. I've landed on many platforms that had only one leg, the heliport (if you want to call it that) on top, and the only way down was through a hole in the deck, through which the pax crawled to check the well. You have to land rather precisely, so as not to cover up the hole. In a stiff wind with high seas, the pax crawl to and from the hole, because the deck is moving too much to walk. I've also done lots of sling loads to these things, and the only way to see the platform when over it was via a 2.5" convex mirror mounted under the chin bubble. Not long lining, but hovering up there seeing only the moving waves while spotting the load was difficult enough for me.

I wish someone would post a picture of a toad stool. I used to drop my guys off and go back to a regular platform because the movement would get me sea sick. In high seas, the patform would rock back and forth several feet, or at least it seemed like that much.

barryb

TFS

Thats funny I've been on that platform (GB142) in a similar looking aircraft :E

The white buildings were not there though.

BTW, Darren wants to know how you got that picture

Squirrel. I have a picture of a toad stool. If I emailed to you would you post it on here?
Hope your well, hope to see you here soon!!

Darren :ok:

Here are the toad stools, provided by young Jack....I presume there's a gas valve on every one ? Looks like a game of heli hop-scotch !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...Toadstool3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6.../ToadStool.jpg

What we need now is a photo of a 212 on one of the Ubit decks at Eket......

Not sure about Ubit decks (they weren't that small, were they?) more like one of the Texaco decks: I got out of a 76 once and 'paced' one, it was 7-8m!

when toad-stool hopping, would one make a flat approach, or climb to make a steep approach ?

Also, you've shut down on that precarious looking lump of metal - how long could you expect to be ' marooned ' there for ?

212man,

The total deck was plenty big....before they removed the wooden deck timbers. Afterwards, one had to land between the "railroad tracks"....which made the decks much smaller in reality.

Ah yes, now I remember: much of that period had been relegated to a little used memory recess!