Landing
The aircraft landed on a moving barge with a high crosswind. A direct landing into the wind was blocked by a crane, so the pilot executed a sideslip from a flight path that paralleled the ship's movement. The wind was blowing across the barge from left to right. After touching down, the pilot did not change the crosswind heading of the aircraft.
Deplaning and Rollover
Following landing, the pilot left the engines at the 'fly' setting because he was uncertain about the stability of the aircraft's position. However, he allowed passengers to deplane. Witnesses reported that as passengers left the aircraft, the left landing gear lifted slightly off the deck. This reportedly occurred two or three times before the aircraft rolled over. One witness stated that a strong gust of wind was present at the time of the rollover.
Pilot Actions
The pilot stated that as the roll began, he applied full left cyclic control, but it had no effect. According to witnesses, the aircraft was heading toward the right side of the vessel while the wind came from the left. The aircraft ultimately rolled over on the barge.