Accident Overview
An aircraft on a revenue flight between two offshore platforms disappeared without any radio calls indicating difficulties. The pilot, who held an instrument rating, had told the crew chief before departure that he would turn around and return to the departure platform if the weather deteriorated too much.
Search and Recovery
An air search recovered two of the three bodies and assorted pieces of wreckage approximately two miles from the departure platform. None of the drive train or instrumentation was recovered from the wreckage.
Weather Conditions
The weather at the time was characterized by indefinite ceilings of 200 to 400 feet, obscured skies, and visibility of one to one and a half miles in light rain and fog. The temperature and dew point spread was two degrees Fahrenheit.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the recovered wreckage indicated that the aircraft had impacted the water at a high rate of speed in an uncontrolled attitude. However, the limited amount of recovered wreckage precluded a definite determination as to the nature of the accident.