What happened
On the morning of April 12, 1998, an Enstrom 280 C helicopter, registered F-OIAD, departed from Île Ouen bound for Magenta. At 08:47, the pilot contacted the Magenta tower while entering the aerodrome's control zone. One minute later, the pilot transmitted a distress message indicating an emergency water landing was in progress.
The aircraft impacted the water near Mont Doré. Because the helicopter was not equipped with flotation devices, it sank immediately following the impact. The three occupants on board were able to evacuate the aircraft and were subsequently rescued by a recreational boater. The aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
Investigators were unable to examine the onboard documents as they were lost during the accident. However, the investigation team successfully reconstructed the flight history since the last refueling by analyzing air traffic control progress strips, engine logbooks, and fuel invoices.
Records indicated that the helicopter had received a full fuel load on April 6, 1998. Since that time, the aircraft had completed 2 hours and 45 minutes of flight time. According to the manufacturer's flight manual, this duration reached the maximum endurance of the aircraft.
Findings
- The pilot reported that the engine experienced an initial drop in RPM before eventually stopping.
- The primary cause of the accident was insufficient fuel quantity.
- The pilot failed to verify the fuel levels prior to the flight.