Bell 212 crash near off Rangali, Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives

Night visual operations. The helicopter left the heliport on Rangali Island at about 03:00 local time for Malé with two pilots, a flight attendant and seven passengers aboard. Witnesses saw it turn and head back towards the heliport in a nose-down descent shortly after takeoff, then descend more rapidly and strike the ocean. All ten were killed by vertical impact forces, which were not survivable, and the helicopter sank. No single cause was settled on. Limited visual cues for judging height above the water may have contributed to the high rate of descent and minimal rotor speed at impact. The report also points to a complex sequence of electrical problems. Separately, the aircraft had been refuelled from barrels beforehand using a hand pump that jammed on contaminants, although it struck the water with the throttles wide open and every switch in its normal position. Coordinates are approximate to Rangali.