Incident Details
An aircraft was flying at an altitude of 50 feet above the water at an airspeed of 15 knots while photographing a sailboat. The aircraft then climbed to 150 feet and drifted left, passing over the top of the boat. At that moment, witnesses reported hearing a loud pop and seeing a puff of black smoke emanate from the engine exhaust. The engine noise ceased, and the aircraft rolled approximately 90 degrees onto its left side before descending into the water.
Witness Observations
Witnesses on the scene stated that they heard a distinct loud pop followed by black smoke from the engine area. They also noted that no components fell from the aircraft prior to the crash. The aircraft's descent was described as a roll to the left before impact with the water.
Post-Crash Inspection
A post-crash inspection of the aircraft revealed no evidence of precrash mechanical failure or malfunction of the structure, rotor head, rotor blades, or main rotor gearbox. Similarly, inspection of the engine and engine components found no evidence to indicate precrash mechanical failure or malfunction.