Bell OH 58A N288NS
22 July 2016 · Lake Mills, Iowa, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 22 July 2016 at about 21:00 local time, a Bell OH 58A registered N288NS, operated by North Star Helicopter Inc, was involved in an accident near Lake Mills, Iowa, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lake Mills, Iowa, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.3875, -93.6217
- Aircraft
- Bell OH 58A
- Registration
- N288NS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1970
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- North Star Helicopter Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Northwood → Northwood
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN16LA289
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in a wire strike.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot was performing an agricultural application flight. The pilot reported that, while spraying a field, the helicopter struck a wire that he did not see. The pilot reported that after striking the wire, the helicopter came to a stop, and then the wire broke. The pilot flew the helicopter to the ground, and the helicopter hit hard and then flipped onto its side. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell OH-58A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Oct 2016 | Bell OH 58A | Ponce, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 2016 | Bell OH 58A | Brawley, California, United States | Farm Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2016 | Bell OH 58A | Sacramento, California, United States | City of Sacramento | No injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 2018 | Bell OH 58A | Juana Diaz, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Oct 2018 | Bell OH 58A | Carson City, Nevada, United States | Washoe County Sheriffs Office | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2018 | Bell OH 58A | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | North Carolina State Highway Patrol | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 2016 | Cessna 208 | Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States | Multi Aero Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Sep 2016 | Piper PA 46-310P | Chariton, Iowa, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jul 2016 | Cessna 188 | What Cheer, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2016 | Air Tractor AT 402 | Sac City, Iowa, United States | Watson Ag Aviation LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Sep 2016 | Piper PA28R | Ottumwa, Iowa, United States | Indian Hills Community College | No injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 2016 | Piper PA-11 | Indianola, Iowa, United States | Agri-Flite Inc | Fatal | 2 |