Cain Burdeau, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

GIBSON, La. - Authorities in a dozen boats searched through wreckage from a helicopter crash in a southern Louisiana marsh Monday, turning up evidence that could help investigators figure out why the aircraft bound for an offshore oil platform went down and killed eight people.

The helicopter, operated by PHI Inc., crashed Sunday afternoon shortly after taking off, said Richard Rovinelli, a company spokesman.

Two pilots and seven passengers were aboard when the helicopter went down in rural Terrebonne Parish, about 160 kilometres southwest of New Orleans.

The passengers worked for two Shell Oil Co. contractors and the company said they were on their way to its Gulf of Mexico platform.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Jaclyn Young said the lone survivor was transported to a hospital in suburban New Orleans, and was in critical condition Sunday night. The hospital said Monday the family did not want to release his condition.

Ted Lopatkiewicz, spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, said the helicopter is believed to have crashed about seven minutes after it took off at 3:02 p.m. EDT. Lopatkiewicz said there were scattered clouds and visibility was about 16 kilometres at the time of the crash, and the crew reported no problems before the helicopter went down.

A short time after the crash, the Air Force Rescue Co-ordination Center in Panama City, Fla., received an electronic distress signal from the helicopter with the aircraft's tail number and GPS co-ordinates, centre spokesman Master Sgt. Jeffery Harlan said. The centre contacted PHI, which confirmed it couldn't locate the chopper, Harlan said.

The helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76C, would have had a voice recorder aboard and possibly a flight data recorder, Lopatkiewicz said.

At least one recorder was found Monday, said Maj. Tommy Odom, head of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office water patrol. He didn't have details on exactly what was found. A company spokesman said late Monday he did not know whether the helicopter had a flight data recorder.

NTSB investigators were expected to arrive Tuesday, Odom said.

Odom said the wreckage was strewn over a fairly small area accessible only by boat, and much of it was visible in chest-deep water. About 20 people helped search, and crews from PHI collected wreckage, he said.

An NTSB investigator also was headed for PHI's offices to go through maintenance and crew records.