Flight and Weather Conditions
The pilot of a prototype two-engine Bell 206L1 helicopter was returning to base after a series of demonstration flights. Before the flight, the pilot obtained the current destination weather and forecast conditions from Flight Watch. The current weather was reported as 800 feet scattered with 6 miles visibility, and the forecast called for clear conditions until 2300, followed by 800 feet overcast with 3 miles visibility. As the flight neared the accident site, the pilot was over a broken to overcast cloud layer. At that point, calculations indicated the helicopter had approximately 43 minutes of fuel remaining.
Communication with Air Traffic Control
The pilot contacted the MCAS El Toro air traffic control tower while at 2,000 feet mean sea level, approximately 10 miles east of the airport. The pilot informed the military controller, "I need to look for a hole," and the controller provided a suggested heading. Shortly thereafter, the pilot asked, "Is it o.k. to descend here?" The controller responded, "Just fine, descend right there sir." The pilot then asked what his minimum altitude was at that location, and the controller advised him to standby. That was the last communication received from the helicopter.
Aircraft Certification
The helicopter was certified for instrument flight.