Bell 206L-1

The helicopter, being operated as a Part 135 on-demand air taxi, made a routine landing on an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The passenger stated that, after landing the pilot began to have "labored" breathing and did not respond to his voice. The pilot became unresponsive, and while his hands were still on the controls, the passenger kept the cyclic centered, removed the pilot's hand from the collective, and rolled the throttle to idle. The passenger continued to talk to the pilot; however, the pilot did not respond and continued to breath in a "labored" manner. Approximately two minutes later, the pilot went limp and slumped forward. The passenger shutdown the engine and applied rotor brake, and when the blades were almost stopped, he exited the helicopter and went to the pilot's side to check for a pulse. Finding none, he tried calling for help on the helicopter radios, and after receiving no answer; he went downstairs to get help. CPR was continued until medical assistance arrived. The pilot had accumulated 22,570.40 total flight hours. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on July, 8, 2003, with no limitations or waivers. An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Medical Examiner, Lafayette Parish Forensic Center. The cause of death was determined as: "Acute Cardiac Arrhythmia, due to left ventricular fibrosis, due to coronary arteriosclerosis, due to hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (HASCVD)." Other contributors: "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), steatohepatis."