Incident Overview
A helicopter operated by the sheriff's office was scheduled to fly from Summerville to Charleston, a distance of approximately 15 miles southeast, following maintenance work. When the aircraft failed to arrive as planned, a search was initiated. The wreckage was located four days later in a forested swamp, about 0.6 miles northwest of the airport. The helicopter was found upright but destroyed by fire.
Impact and Wreckage
Examination of the accident site indicated that the aircraft struck a large tree at an estimated altitude of 70 feet above ground level. An inspection of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any pre-existing mechanical failure or malfunction.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot had accumulated approximately 145 hours of helicopter flight time. The pilot was not instrument rated, and the helicopter was not certificated for instrument flight rules (IFR) operations.
Weather and Lighting Conditions
Numerous local residents reported heavy fog conditions at the time of the accident. One person who reportedly heard the crash estimated visibility to be about 50 to 100 yards in the fog. Darkness also prevailed at the reported time of the accident.
Investigative Findings
The Safety Board believes that the pilot inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and was attempting to navigate back to the departure airport when the aircraft impacted the trees.