Cites Post-Katrina S-76 Accident In Recommendation

In response to the Board's investigation into the September 6, 2005 ditching of a Sikorsky S-76A helicopter in the Gulf of Mexico, on Tuesday the National Transportation Safety Board issued a recommendation to the FAA urging all offshore Gulf helicopter operators to evaluate their communication contingency plans in the aftermath of a major event.

As ANN reported, the 10 passengers and two pilots onboard the Houston Helicopters, Inc. rotorcraft were able to safely egress the stricken S-76 after it ditched in the Gulf, about 24 miles southeast of Sabine Pass, TX. Ten persons onboard suffered injuries of varying degrees of severity, and all were forced to wait in the cold Gulf waters for 7.5 hours, buoyed only by their personal life vests, before they were rescued.

"The probable cause of this accident was the pilots' delayed response to the No. 1 engine fire warning and the loss of power to both engines, which occurred for undetermined reasons," the Board noted. "The pilots' delayed response was most likely due to stress and fatigue."

The accident occurred one week after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf region as a Category 3 storm... and the NTSB took note of the resulting chaos as a contributing factor in the delayed rescue. Post-accident interviews with HHI pilots indicated the company's communications network was non-functional in the storm's aftermath, as were cellular phone towers.

"Although other Gulf offshore helicopter operators secured alternate means for their pilots to communicate with their base operations (for example, by using “repeater” aircraft or through issuance of satellite telephones), HHI did not take similar action," the NTSB states. "Rather than provide a formal communications plan, HHI management suggested that its pilots use their own cellular phones or request assistance from oil platform personnel to relay flight departure information to base operations."

HHI suspended operations in October 2005, but the NTSB says the lesson from the accident is one all companies operating the region should heed. In recommendation A-09-01, the NTSB says the FAA should "evaluate offshore helicopter operators in the Gulf of Mexico for compliance with their communication contingency plan that supports continued adherence to required flight-following procedures," following a major event such as a hurricane.

FMI: Read The Full Recommendation (.pdf)