ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 189075
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| Date: | Wednesday 3 August 2016 |
| Time: | 10:47 |
| Type: |  Schweizer 269C-1 |
| Owner/operator: | Gulf Coast Helicopters Inc |
| Registration: | N1549W |
| MSN: | 0219 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2005 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming HIO-360-G1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Atchafalaya Basin, Iberia Parish, LA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Louisiana Regional Airport, LA (L38) |
| Patterson Municipal Heliport, LA (PTN/KPTN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On August 3, 2016, about 1047 central daylight time, a Schweizer 269C-1 helicopter, N1549W, was destroyed when it impacted trees in swampy terrain near Jeanerette, Louisiana. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight was being operated by Gulf Coast Helicopters, Inc., as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 pipeline patrol flight, and no flight plan had been filed. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the low-altitude cross-country flight. The flight originated from the Louisiana Regional Airport (L38), Gonzales, Louisiana, about 0730 and was destined for the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport (PTN), Patterson, Louisiana.
The commercial pilot was completing a scheduled biweekly patrol of a series of intersecting pipelines. When the helicopter failed to arrive as scheduled, a search was initiated. The helicopter was located partially submerged in a remote, thickly wooded cypress swamp. The damage to the helicopter and to surrounding trees indicated that the helicopter was in a near-vertical descent with a nose-down attitude at impact.
Examination of the helicopter and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact discrepancies or anomalies, and damage to the main rotor blades was consistent with the engine producing power at impact. Review of weather information revealed that there was a large thunderstorm complex in the area, but it did not extend over the accident site. The closest weather station, located about 18 miles from the accident site, was reporting visual flight rules to marginal flight rules conditions due to light rain and a broken-to-overcast cloud layer. Due to an overcast layer of high cirriform clouds over the accident site, it was not possible to determine if any low clouds were in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with a loss of control by the pilot. The reason for the pilot's loss of helicopter control could not be determined.
Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of helicopter control for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N1549W
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Media:
Our #NTSB investigators deploy to challenging sites like this Cypress swamp in the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/xKrvF2zMdt
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) August 7, 2016
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Aug-2016 22:57 | Geno | Added |
| 05-Aug-2016 10:58 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 05-Aug-2016 16:46 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Aug-2016 16:40 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 08-Sep-2017 19:48 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 17-Oct-2022 19:47 | Captain Adam | Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo] |
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