N471M

On March 2, 2013, about 1320 Universal coordinated time (UTC), a Hughes 369HS, N471M, impacted the Pacific Ocean after being struck by a commercial fishing vessel in international waters near Latangai Island, Papua New Guinea. The airline transport pilot sustained serious injuries, and the one fish spotter (passenger) sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter's main rotor assembly and tail rotor assembly were substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Jerry's Helicopter Service, Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from the helicopter's designated vessel (MV FK 869) at approximately 1220 UTC.

The pilot reported that while flying the fish spotter found a fish formation. The pilot was flying towards it when he observed a fishing vessel motoring nearby, and in the general direction of, where the fish were spotted. The pilot circled over the vessel and identified it as the Pacific Ranger before it proceeded to circle over the fish formation. When the fish spotter found the fish aggregating device (FAD), which are floating objects designed and strategically placed to attract fish, the pilot approached the FAD and hovered over it at a low altitude about 0.7 miles away from the Pacific Ranger. During this time, the helicopter was positioned into the wind, with the Pacific Ranger approaching from behind. The fish spotter reached out of the helicopter and attempted to attach a radio buoy to the FAD when the helicopter suddenly shook violently and plunged into the ocean, coming to rest upside down.

The fish master of the Pacific Ranger was at the controls at the time of the accident. He reported that prior to seeing the helicopter he observed it on radar when it was about 20 miles away. The helicopter approached the Pacific Ranger and circled around it twice. The fish master reported that it appeared that they did not find the FAD and flew out of the area. When the vessel was about 500 meters from the FAD he was slowing down the vessel when he observed the helicopter in front of them.

The captain of the Pacific Ranger reported that he was on the helicopter deck of the Pacific Ranger watching for tuna and FADs when he noticed the helicopter circle twice and descend to a hover about five ship lengths in front of, and facing away from, the Pacific Ranger. He was unsure what the helicopter was doing until he observed the fish spotter climb onto the float of the helicopter and reach for the FAD. At this time, he felt the fish master reverse the Pacific Ranger, however, they still impacted the tail of the helicopter.

A GPS, which contained waypoints the pilot created during the flight, was recovered from the helicopter and taken to the manufacturer for analysis. The GPS data indicated that when the helicopter initially flew in front of the Pacific Ranger, the helicopter was about 1.7 nautical miles (nm) (about 2 miles) away from the FAD and the Pacific Ranger was about 1.9 nm (2.3 miles) away. The helicopter continued toward the FAD and made one large circle, followed by a smaller circle, before descending to a low hover. The GPS did not indicate time nor did it show the speed of the helicopter or Pacific Ranger.

According to The Federal Aviation Administration's Model Civil Aviation Regulations (MCARS), Version 2.7, Part 11 states under Fish Spotting Operating Rules, "Each operator shall conduct operations so as not to endanger persons or property on the surface nor aircraft in flight."

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard Navigation Rules state "every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision."