Date:	Tuesday 19 April 1988
Time:	21:20
Type:	Aérospatiale SA 365C3 Dauphin 2
Owner/operator:	Schreiner Airways / Airspeed Rotterdam
Registration:	PH-SSN
MSN:	5056
Year of manufacture:	1981
Total airframe hrs:	3146 hours
Engine model:	Turbomeca Arriel 1AZ
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	North Sea Eurogeul, west of Zuid-Holland -   Netherlands
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Offshore
Departure airport:	Rotterdam (EHRD)
Destination airport:	Ship Pilot Rendezvous area
Investigating agency:	RvdL
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Dauphin 2 struck the water of the North Sea during an attempt to rendezvous with a vessel offshore for a marine pilot transfer on a foggy night.

The crew had been instructed to carry out a pilot transfer flight with the helicopter, from Rotterdam Airport to a ship, located about 50 nautical miles west of Rotterdam. Initially, the flight was to take place in daylight, with the pilot being dropped off on the ship at 20:00 LT, but due to poor visibility the flight was delayed. When a message was received from the ship that visibility had improved to 0.5 miles, the captain decided to depart on a so-called “look-see” basis.

Takeoff took place at 20:51 LT during twilight. Except for the pilot, the occupants were wearing immersion suits. The flight to the ship was conducted at an altitude of 2,000 ft, with the pressure altimeters set to the Rotterdam QNH of 1003 mb. Approaching the ship, the helicopter descended to 500 ft. Flying westward, the crew maneuvered around a rain shower, after which they sighted the ship at about 21:15 LT. Once the ship, which was on a course of 084°, had been identified on radar, it was approached on a course of 120°.

From the south, in rain, a radar approach was carried out along the ship’s length. The ship became visible at a distance of about 1 km. The warning indicators of both radio altimeters were set at 200 ft. When the captain arrived overhead the ship during a heavy rain shower, he could not see the yellow-painted landing area and decided to perform a go-around in order to make a second approach. After initiating the go-around, the captain made a climbing right turn onto the downwind leg, during which, after passing abeam the ship’s bow at an altitude of 500 ft, he continued straight ahead for another 10 seconds.

For a visual approach, the captain then made a descending right turn, gradually reducing speed from 75 kts to about 45 kts. During this maneuver, the copilot successively called out the pressure altitudes of 400 ft, 300 ft, and 200 ft (“decision height”). The captain concentrated on flying the final straight segment of the approach, orienting himself by the illuminated ship, which stood out against a completely dark background. Because of the continuing rainfall after the go-around, the twilight, and the limited visibility, the horizon, the ship’s waterline, and the sea surface were not visible. The illuminated part of the ship was the only external visual reference. After calling out the 200 ft altitude passage, the copilot leaned forward in the cockpit to switch off the radar, while the captain completed the right turn and leveled the helicopter. When the copilot looked up a few seconds later, he saw that the helicopter had a slightly nose-high attitude and that the ship’s lights appeared in what seemed to him a normal position.

Almost immediately afterwards, the helicopter struck the water, completely surprising both pilots. The aircraft contacted the water with a low rate of descent and low forward speed, in a nose-high attitude, in a sliding movement to the left. As a result, the helicopter rolled over to the left and came to rest upside down in the water.
The occupants remained virtually uninjured.

1. https://www.dekrantvantoen.nl//vw/article.do?code=NVHN&date=19880420&id=NVHN-19880420-AE0005013 (news paper cutting)
2. Aviation International News 1 May 1989
3. https://www.helispot.be/hs/accidents/detail.asp?id=E1i9c3

(c) Harro Ranter, EHMZ 16-APR-1988 (three days before the accident)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Mar-2008 11:46	harro	Added
20-Jun-2010 08:56	AuxHyd	Updated [Time, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, ]
24-Jan-2011 04:58	JaWo	Updated [Source, ]
15-Dec-2012 13:09	TB	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ]
15-Oct-2015 17:58	jevage	Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport, ]
17-Apr-2016 17:55	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
17-Apr-2016 17:56	Aerossurance	Updated [Narrative, ]
19-Mar-2018 18:59	helispot	Updated [Total fatalities, Country, Source, ]
19-Mar-2018 18:59	harro	Updated [Country, ]
19-Mar-2018 19:00	harro	Updated [Total fatalities, ]
19-Mar-2018 19:00	harro	Updated [Total fatalities, ]
19-Mar-2018 19:00	harro	Updated [Total fatalities, ]
20-Jun-2022 05:18	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, ]
04-Jan-2025 11:25	Aerossurance	Updated [Nature, ]
16-Sep-2025 09:24	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ]