R44 helicopter with two aboard missing Ablemarle Sound, NC

Where they were crossing that’s a lot of open water. I have crossed that water where it was less than 10 miles between shore line and lost sight of land. Makes me suspicious of spatial disorientation.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
Where they were crossing that’s a lot of open water. I have crossed that water where it was less than 10 miles between shore line and lost sight of land. Makes me suspicious of spatial disorientation.
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The restricted area around Harvey’s point would push one over land, I would think.
 
From Mecklenburg direct to Dare County, I would expect they would stay just to the north of R-5302B. Barely a factor in the flight.
 
The articles description of where things were found is kind of strange. Magenta line is the direct route from KAVC KMQI. Pic won’t post. Anyway, the backpack and the helo debris are about 8 miles apart. Backpack south of the mouth of the river and the helo debris North of it.
 
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Agreed, they most likely went north around the restricted area and had about 25 miles of open water to cross.

I understand helicopters don't have a great glide ratio.
 
luvflyin said:
The articles description of where things were found is kind of strange. Magenta line is the direct route from KAVC KMQI. Pic won’t post. Anyway, the backpack and the helo debris are about 8 miles apart. Backpack south of the mouth of the river and the helo debris North of it.
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“At 11:27 a.m., the Jayhawk aircrew discovered helicopter debris in the water approximately 9 miles north of the Alligator River Bridge in the Albemarle Sound.”
That location is basically along the route of flight.

“At 10:46 a.m. Tuesday, a good Samaritan recovered a backpack with personal belongings inside approximately 3.5 miles south of the mouth of the Alligator River,”
This would be about 8 miles south of the debris. Considering that from the time of lost contact to when the backpack was found is about 16 hours, a backpack floating on the surface could easily travel that distance.
 
donjohnston said:
“At 11:27 a.m., the Jayhawk aircrew discovered helicopter debris in the water approximately 9 miles north of the Alligator River Bridge in the Albemarle Sound.”
That location is basically along the route of flight.

“At 10:46 a.m. Tuesday, a good Samaritan recovered a backpack with personal belongings inside approximately 3.5 miles south of the mouth of the Alligator River,”
This would be about 8 miles south of the debris. Considering that from the time of lost contact to when the backpack was found is about 16 hours, a backpack floating on the surface could easily travel that distance.
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Yeah. And so could Helo debris. If they found it that quick it was stuff that floats. The reference to the ‘mouth’ of the river is what I was getting at. I’m thinking they were to the South of the Sound when it happened. Backpack drifted to shore and the helo parts continued on out into the sound. Or maybe it was tides. River might have been flowing backwards there at the mouth.
 
The Alligator river is not tidal.
 
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