Incident Overview
A helicopter landed on an oil rig platform for refueling. After refueling, the pilot turned into the wind and initiated takeoff. As the helicopter cleared the platform, it experienced a left yaw and nose-down pitch. The pilot applied collective control to cushion the landing and deployed the pop-out floats.
Impact and Aftermath
The helicopter touched down in seas with five-foot waves. Upon impact, the main rotor blade severed the tail boom, and the helicopter rolled inverted. The pilot was unable to exit through the right front door. After some difficulty, he egressed through one of the rear doors.
Investigation Findings
An inspection of the oil rig helideck revealed that the refueling hose was lying over the side of the deck, and the hose nozzle was missing. Blue paint was found on the hose. The skids and bottom of the helicopter were painted with the same shade of blue paint.
Engine Examination
A teardown of the engine revealed no pre-impact malfunction or failure.
Conclusion
The incident sequence included a loss of control after takeoff, forced landing in the sea, and inversion following main rotor blade contact with the tail boom. The investigation identified the missing refueling hose nozzle and matching blue paint, but no analysis or conclusions regarding causal factors are provided in the source.