Bell 407 N577AL

Summary

On 10 March 2019 at about 17:03 local time, a Bell 407 registered N577AL, operated by Bristow US LLC, was involved in an accident near Galliano, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 March 2019 at 17:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Galliano, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

29.4228, -90.1783

Aircraft

Bell 407

Registration

N577AL

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Bristow US LLC

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Galliano → Gulf of Mexico

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19FA095

2 people died.

The pilot's loss of control during cruise flight as a result of spatial disorientation while operating the helicopter in close proximity to terrain in marginal meteorological conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the helicopter departed on the flight to transport the passenger to an offshore platform; several minutes before the accident, he transmitted a pilot report describing a cloud ceiling about 700 ft above ground level and 6 statute miles visibility. Onboard data indicated that the helicopter entered a descending left turn from about 300 ft above ground level that continued until the helicopter impacted a marsh. The turn to the north was not consistent with the intended route of flight. The characteristics of the turn as it tightened over the last 25 seconds of the flight (increasing roll, decreasing pitch, and vertical descent rate) are consistent with the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation and loss of control. The restricted visual references resulting from the low cloud ceilings and flight over a body of water that lacked significant contrasting terrain features would have been conducive to the development of spatial disorientation; and the low altitude in which he was flying would have limited his available time to recover. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.