Aerospatiale SA-330J N3596N

Summary

On 21 December 1987 at about 17:00 local time, a Aerospatiale SA-330J registered N3596N, operated by Petroleum Helicopters Inc., was involved in an accident near Eugene Island. 15 people were on board and 15 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

21 December 1987 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Eugene Island

Nearest airport

Eugene Island 190 Helipad

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Aerospatiale SA-330J

Registration

N3596N

Category

Helicopter

Engines

2

Operator

Petroleum Helicopters Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Intracoastal → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW88FA039

15 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE HELICOPTER, WITH 2 PLTS & 13 PASSENGERS, WAS ON AN IFR FLT TO A PSN IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. FROM THAT PSN, THEY PROCEEDED UNDER VFR TO AN OFF-SHORE OIL DRILLING RIG (EI-190). AS THE HELICOPTER WAS ARRIVING FROM THE SE, THERE WAS A STRONG WIND FROM THE NE. THE LANDING PLATFORM (HELIPAD) WAS LOCATED ON THE NW SIDE OF THE OIL RIG. THE PLT ELECTED TO MAKE AN APCH TO THE HELIPAD BY FLYING PARALLEL TO THE UPWIND (NE) SIDE OF THE OIL RIG, RATHER THAN GOING AROUND THE DOWNWIND SIDE & APCHG THE HELIPAD BY FLYING INTO THE WIND. AFTER PROCEEDING TO AN AREA OVER THE VCNTY OF THE HELIPAD, THE PLT TURNED THE HELICOPTER TO THE RGT & ALIGNED IT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND. THE HELICOPTER WAS THEN OBSERVED TO DRIFT REARWARD & TO THE RGT UNTIL THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES COLLIDED WITH THE NW LEG OF THE OIL RIG. IT THEN CRASHED ON THE OIL RIG & WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT & FIRE. AN NTSB STUDY SHOWED THE WIND WAS FROM 040 DEG AT 35 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.