On July 13, 1994 Senior Chief James A. Pavini and Chief Charles R. Bloome, Jr., both Marine Inspectors from MSU Texas City (Galveston), were two of four passengers aboard a contract helicopter en route to inspect a merchant vessel off the coast of Galveston, Texas. The helicopter, an Aerospatiale AS-350B1 leased by Sea-Link Helicopters, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico during the transit killing the four passengers. The pilot was the only survivor.