PORT O'CONNOR, TX, USA
N16659
BELL 206B
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE TOOK OFF AT 1348 CST, THE WEATHER WAS 400 FT OVERCAST, 2 TO 5 MI VISIBILITY WITH RAIN. ABOUT 10 MIN LATER, HE ARRIVED AT THE PORT O'CONNOR JETTY AND COULD SEE ACROSS MATAGORDA BAY TO PORT O'CONNOR. ABOUT HALFWAY ACROSS THE BAY, SEVERE TURBULENCE AND RAIN (ASSOCIATED WITH A THUNDERSTORM) WERE ENCOUNTERED. THE PILOT MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND ATTEMPTED TO PROCEED TO A BEACH TO LAND. AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, WHILE ON A LANDING APPROACH, A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED. FULL POWER WAS APPLIED, BUT THE DESCENT CONTINUED AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED IN THE WATER IN A NEAR LEVEL ATTITUDE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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