NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW85LA268
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PLT HAD LANDED ON THE OFFSHORE HELIPORT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE S76 HELICOPTER ROLLED BACKWARD ON THE PLATFORM WITH THE HELICOPTER TILTING TO ITS RIGHT. THE COPLT EXITED THE ACFT AND FOUND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WHEEL OFF THE PLATFORM AND INTO THE DECK SAFETY NET. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LIFT UP OFF THE PLATFORM BUT THE ACFT WENT OFF THE PLATFORM AND FELL INVERTED IN THE WATER ABOUT 100 FEET BELOW. THE COPLT HAD EXITED THE ACFT (PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT) AFTER INITIAL TOUCHDOWN. THE HELICOPTER WAS INTENTIONALLY LANDED ON THE FAR RIGHT (EAST) SIDE OF THE PLATFORM BECAUSE OF A BELL 206 WHICH WAS PARKED ON THE LEFT (WEST) SIDE OF THE PLATFORM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1985_FTW85LA268.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.