Helicopter Crash During Tuna Spotting Operations (N42054)

Incident Overview and Timeline A helicopter departed from a fishing vessel to conduct tuna spotting operations. Approximately one and a half hours after takeoff, the aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances. The pilot had maintained routine radio communication with the ship's captain about 10 minutes before the accident, and no emergency calls were received by the vessel. At the time of the crash, the helicopter was located about 30 miles from the ship. The ship's crew later recovered only the helicopter's floats, pieces of the airframe, and the engine. The captain reported that the sea was flat and clear, and no birds or fish were noted around the accident site. The pilot had been aboard the ship since August 25, 1999, and had accumulated about 4 hours of flight time. The captain and crew reported that the pilot, who also served as the mechanic, had not mentioned any mechanical problems with the aircraft. The operator estimated that the helicopter carried approximately 64 gallons of fuel at departure. Fuel samples showed no debris or contamination, and the engine did not reveal any preimpact damage, appearing to have been rotating at the time of impact.