Incident
Shortly before 1510, the pilot started the helicopter's engine and departed on a sightseeing tour around the island with two fare-paying passengers. The operator anticipated the flight would last between 0.5 and 0.7 hours. To manage weight, the fuel load had been reduced before takeoff by an estimated 10 gallons, bringing the usable quantity to between 16 and 19 gallons, as estimated using a dipstick.
About 1558, while cruising offshore and nearly parallel to the shoreline, witnesses observed the helicopter fly past while making sounds like its engine was sputtering, stalling, or cutting in and out. The helicopter's course remained unchanged, and seconds later, other witnesses heard a loud bang sound. The helicopter then entered a rapid descent and impacted in approximately 2.5-foot-deep ocean water in front of a hotel where people were swimming.
Wreckage Examination
An examination of the wreckage revealed that a main rotor blade had impacted and severed the tail rotor drive shaft. No evidence was found indicating that the pilot had practiced autorotations in the Enstrom helicopter during the 4.5 months since becoming rotorcraft rated. During structural airframe and engine examinations, no evidence was found of precipitating mechanical malfunctions.
Fuel Calculations
Calculations based on maximum anticipated fuel consumption rates and approximations for the quantity of fuel on board revealed that fuel exhaustion could occur within 0.1 hour of the flight's duration.