Incident Overview
A helicopter operating as a Part 135 on-demand air taxi made a routine landing on an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. After landing, the passenger reported that the pilot began breathing in a "labored" manner and did not respond to voice. The pilot became unresponsive while his hands remained on the controls. The passenger kept the cyclic centered, removed the pilot's hand from the collective, and rolled the throttle to idle. Despite continued attempts to communicate, the pilot did not respond and continued labored breathing.
Passenger Actions
Approximately two minutes later, the pilot went limp and slumped forward. The passenger then shut down the engine and applied the rotor brake. When the rotor blades were nearly stopped, the passenger exited the helicopter and checked the pilot for a pulse. Finding none, he attempted to call for help using the helicopter radios. Receiving no answer, he went downstairs to seek assistance. CPR was initiated and continued until medical personnel arrived.
Pilot Information
The pilot had accumulated a total of 22,570.40 flight hours. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on July 8, 2003, with no limitations or waivers.
Medical Findings
An autopsy was performed by the Medical Examiner, Lafayette Parish Forensic Center. The cause of death was determined as "Acute Cardiac Arrhythmia, due to left ventricular fibrosis, due to coronary arteriosclerosis, due to hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (HASCVD)." Additional contributing factors listed were "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), steatohepatitis."