Incident Details
A certificated commercial pilot was conducting a flight between two tuna fishing vessels in international waters, with one passenger on board. As the pilot began a climb from an altitude of about 100 feet above the water, he discovered that the helicopter's cyclic control was binding in its longitudinal axis. Despite the control issue, the helicopter continued to climb until it reached a near-vertical attitude. In an attempt to correct the attitude, the pilot applied rudder pedal to swing the nose downward. Subsequently, the helicopter descended rapidly toward the ocean surface.
Outcome
During the rapid descent, a float attached to the landing gear skid made contact with the water. The impact caused the floats to be torn off, and the helicopter cartwheeled before ultimately sinking. The helicopter was not recovered from the ocean. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries as a result of the accident.