Event Summary
A helicopter departed an offshore platform located in open ocean water and climbed to 500 feet. The pilot, who had accumulated 10,961 flight hours, reported hearing a "loud bang" followed by a loss of engine power. The pilot initiated an autorotation and deployed the emergency skid-mounted float system.
Emergency Landing
Approximately 50-60 feet above the rough ocean water, the pilot "started to flare and selected a wave to land on." The helicopter impacted the water hard, remained upright for about 20 minutes, then rolled over inverted and partially submerged. The pilot and two passengers evacuated the helicopter immediately after touchdown without deploying the on-board life raft.
Evacuation and Recovery
About 30 minutes after the accident, another helicopter arrived and dropped an emergency life raft into the water for the occupants until further assistance arrived. A brief post-evacuation examination by the pilot revealed that the tailboom had separated from the fuselage. Recovery efforts began on November 6, 2004. During the recovery process, the skids separated from the fuselage and the helicopter sank. Ocean depths in the area were approximately 180 feet, and recovery efforts were subsequently ceased. The helicopter was not recovered, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.