WASHINGTON – Pilot error was identified as the primary cause of the
crash of a Mobile, Alabama-based MH-65 Dolphin helicopter that killed all four crew on board during a training flight over Mobile Bay, Ala., Feb. 28, 2012, according to a final action memo released here, Sept. 26.
A lack of established flight manual procedures for inadvertently entering instrument flight conditions, and a lack of recent over water night and night vision goggle flying by the pilot were identified as contributing factors.
The investigators concluded there was no misconduct involving this mishap.
The four crewmembers lost in this mishap were Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor, Lt. j.g. Thomas Cameron, Chief Petty Officer Fernando Jorge and Petty Officer Third Class Andrew Knight.
Additional observations and recommendations are in the final action memo available online in the Coast Guard's FOIA reading room by going to the reading room website at http://www.uscg.mil/foia/foia_library.asp.
