The UNITED STATE National Transportation Safety Board has actually launched an initial record on the December 29, 2022, deadly helicopter accident near a Gulf of Mexico oil system. One pilot and also 3 travelers passed away in the event.
“On December 29, 2022, about 0834 central standard time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N595RL, was substantially damaged during takeoff from an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot and 3 passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 flight,” NTSB claimed.
According to NTSB, on the early morning of the crash, at concerning 0748, the helicopter left the Rotorcraft Leasing Company LLC base situated atSouth Lafourche Leonard Miller Jr Airport (GAO), Galliano, Louisiana, for an aesthetic trip regulations (VFR) traveler trip to the West Delta 106 (WD106) overseas system in the Gulf ofMexico The straight trip course to WD106 was 51.6 maritime miles (nm) to the southeast of GAO.
Landing on the system
NTSB claimed that, at concerning 0825, the helicopter landed WD106, and also the pilot apparently came down on a southeast heading.
Four travelers left the helicopter and also continued listed below the airport where they had a brief conversation with the system employees that were arranged to go back to the landmass on the helicopter. Then, 3 system employees boarded the helicopter prior to it left.
According to NTSB, there were no eyewitnesses or monitoring video clip of the helicopter’s separation from the WD106 airport; nonetheless, there were a number of people that reported listening to the helicopter operating while on the airport.
These people kept in mind that the helicopter’s engine remained to follow it came down on the airport, which they listened to the engine sound boost for departure and afterwards the audio of products striking the system, NTSB claimed in its record.
Upon listening to the audio of products striking the system, they promptly went outdoors and also saw the helicopter body drifting inverted in the water with the tail boom apart however beside the body.
The touchdown skids were divided from the body, and also the emergency situation skid drifts were blown up.
Rescue effort
Several people on the system after that boarded and also introduced the system’s emergency situation getaway pill, however the helicopter body sunk prior to they can provide aid to the 4 residents that stayed inside the body, NTSB claimed.
Image 1– Overview picture of West Delta 106 system with prototype Bell 407 helicopter on the
airport. The helicopter is dealing with southeast on the airport. The broken chain web link border
skirt on the southwest side of the airport was eliminated after the crash.
The WD106 system is furnished with a 24 feet by 24 feet airport, as received Image 1 over.
The airport was built of lately painted steel and also was bordered with a chain web link border skirt. Eight lights described the border of the touchdown pad.
The stairwell leading below the airport was lately repainted red. The airport was found on the southeast edge of the system and also concerning 100 feet over the water.
Examination of the airport exposed the red paint of the stairwell was gouged and also damaged near the southwest end, closest the skirted location.
The skirt near the stairwell was harmed, with steel articles curved and also busted and also the skirt cable harmed and also tor n.
One border light, on the southwest edge, divided from the airport and also was not recouped.
An surrounding border light, situated at the facility of the west side of the airport, was harmed and also divided from the airport, as received Image 3a listed below. The light’s blue glass world was smashed, and also fragments were discovered on the deck listed below the airport. The staying border lights showed up intact. There were 2 locations of the touchdown pad surface area with cuts in the paint.
One location was found on the western location of the intending circle and also included 3 direct cuts and also 2 round cuts right into the paint.
The various other location included 9 direct cuts in the paint.
Further assessment of the system exposed composite particles spread throughout several decks listed below the airport.
Most of the spread particles followed the products made use of to build the major rotor blades
A six-foot-long part of a primary blades blade came to relax on a steel hand rails situated on the deck listed below the airport, as received Image 2b.
Image 3a (left)– Damaged border light from west side of airport
Image 3b (right)– Upper hydraulic servo cover with red paint transfer and also prototype paint
example from system (Credit: NTSB)
The hand rails showed a down bend near the place of the major blades blade. Three items of lead weight, constant with blade weights, and also several items of dark colored acrylic, constant with the cabin expenses home windows from the helicopter, were discovered on the very same system deck as the major blades blade.
The acrylic fragments showed red paint transfer constant in shade with the red paint of the stairwell.
The top hydraulic servo cover, generally situated over the cabin, likewise showed the very same red paint transfer, as received Image 3b. Fragments of tail rotor blades were discovered on the deck listed below the airport. There was influence damages to the left touchdown skid-to-aft crosstube user interface.
