What happened
During the course of a seismic geophysical operation, an aviation unit was engaged in towing a support vessel that had become grounded in muddy terrain. The operator utilized a long line, measuring approximately 100 feet in length, to facilitate the recovery effort. To dislodge the vessel from its position, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft into a left sideward hover configuration directly above or adjacent to the stuck boat.
While maintaining this specific flight profile, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The helicopter subsequently descended and impacted the ground. No further details regarding injuries or specific damage extent were provided in the source record.
The investigation
The provided source text does not contain specific findings from a mechanical examination or detailed investigative analysis beyond the immediate sequence of events described above.