Aerospatiale SA-330J accident near Eugene Island, December 21, 1987
On December 21, 1987 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Aerospatiale SA-330J (helicopter), registered N3596N, was destroyed in an accident near Eugene Island (Eugene Island 190 Helipad airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 15 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 1987 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Eugene Island · Eugene Island 190 Helipad
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 15 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale SA-330J
- Registration
- N3596N · no longer on the register · serial 1588
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER, WITH 2 PLTS & 13 PASSENGERS, WAS ON AN IFR FLT TO A PSN IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. FROM THAT PSN, THEY PROCEEDED UNDER VFR TO AN OFF-SHORE OIL DRILLING RIG (EI-190). AS THE HELICOPTER WAS ARRIVING FROM THE SE, THERE WAS A STRONG WIND FROM THE NE. THE LANDING PLATFORM (HELIPAD) WAS LOCATED ON THE NW SIDE OF THE OIL RIG. THE PLT ELECTED TO MAKE AN APCH TO THE HELIPAD BY FLYING PARALLEL TO THE UPWIND (NE) SIDE OF THE OIL RIG, RATHER THAN GOING AROUND THE DOWNWIND SIDE & APCHG THE HELIPAD BY FLYING INTO THE WIND. AFTER PROCEEDING TO AN AREA OVER THE VCNTY OF THE HELIPAD, THE PLT TURNED THE HELICOPTER TO THE RGT & ALIGNED IT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND. THE HELICOPTER WAS THEN OBSERVED TO DRIFT REARWARD & TO THE RGT UNTIL THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES COLLIDED WITH THE NW LEG OF THE OIL RIG. IT THEN CRASHED ON THE OIL RIG & WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT & FIRE. AN NTSB STUDY SHOWED THE WIND WAS FROM 040 DEG AT 35 KTS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,993 hours in all; 319 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,201 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme; 179 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,300 lb
- Seats: 20
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Turbomeca TURMO-IVC (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Petroleum Helicopters INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 2LA3 Intracoastal LA at 4:01 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0, 70 ft by 70 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 35 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from EI26, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 13 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.