On January 29, 1992, a Bell 206L-3 (registration N65603) operated by Industrial Helicopters Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near E.i. Blk 108. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of visual reference during an approach in foggy instrument meteorological conditions, which led to controlled flight into terrain/water. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A helicopter attempting to reach an offshore oil platform at dawn lost visual contact in foggy conditions and crashed into the water, sinking immediately with no mechanical issues reported.
What happened
The pilot of a helicopter based offshore attempted to navigate to a satellite offshore oil platform during the early morning hours. The flight took place under instrument meteorological conditions characterized by fog at dawn. As the aircraft approached the destination platform, the pilot lost visual reference with the ground or structure. Consequently, the helicopter impacted the water surface. Following the impact, the aircraft rolled over and sank.
The investigation
Post-accident review indicated that there was no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure reported by the pilot prior to the incident.
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of visual reference during an approach in foggy instrument meteorological conditions, which led to controlled flight into terrain/water.