# Accident 20010412008909A: Arofal OH58C, Panama City, FL, April 12, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 12, 2001, 20:10 local time - Place: Panama City, FL - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Low Level Operations - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.2047° N, 85.8239° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.2047&lon=-85.8239&mi=10 - Aircraft: N91335, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N91335-2003-06-11) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell OH-58C (registry code 1181580, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-oh-58c) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AROFAL OH58C - Reported engine: ALLSN T63A720 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,221 total, 353 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA01TA121](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01TA121) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010412008909A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23)THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE FIRST FLIGHT TO SPRAY CHEMICALS FOR MOSQUITOS, THE FLIGHT RETURNED AFTER HE RECOGNIZED THAT TWO OF THE SPRAY NOZZLES WERE PLUGED. WIHTOUT SECURING THE ENGINE, THE PLUGED NOZZLES WERE REPLACED AND THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TO AGAIN SPRAY CHEMICALS. WHILE FLYING ABOUT 200-250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AT AN INDICATED AIR SPEED OF 30-40 KNOTS, WITH A 10-15 KNOT WIND FROM THE SOUTHEAST, HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO LINE UP TO SPRAY SWATH. THE HELICOPTER YAWED 20-30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT WHICH COULD NOT BE CORRECTED WITH FULL ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL INPUT. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER BUT WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE OR FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND HE ENCOUNTERED "LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR CONTROL". (.19)ON APRIL 12, 2001, ABOUT 1945 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL OH-58C, N91335, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY BEACH MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE BEACH MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT HELIPORT, PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED AT T HE THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PUBLIC-USE FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 5 MINUTES EARLIER. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE FIRST FLIGHT TO SPRAY CHEMICAL FOR MOSQUITOS, THE FLIGHT RETURNED AFTER HE RECOGNIZED THAT TWO OF THE SPRAY NOZZLES WERE PLUGGED. WITHOUT SECURING THE ENGINE, THE PLUGGED NOZZLES WERE REPLACED AND THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TO AGAIN SPRAY CHEMICAL. WHILE FLYING ABOUT 200-250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AT AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 30-40 KNOTS, WITH A 10-15 KNOT WIND FROM THE SOUTHEAST, HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO LINE UP FOR HIS SPRAY SWATH. THE HELICOPTER YAWED 20-30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT WHICH COULD NOT BE CORRECTED WITH FULL LEFT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL INPUT. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER BUT WITH INSUIFFICIENT ALTITUDE, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE OR FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND HE ENCOUNTERED "LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS." (.4) ON APRIL 12, 2001, ABOUT 2010 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL OH-58C, N91335, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY BEACH MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE BEACH MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT HELIPORT, PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PUBLIC-USE FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 5 MINUTES EARLIER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FIRST FLIGHT DEPARTED AT 1915, TO SPRAY CHEMICAL FOR MOSQUITOES BUT RETURNED DUE TO PLUGGED SPRAY NOZZLES THAT HE NOTED MIDPOINT OF THE SECOND SPRAY PASS. WITHOUT SECURING THE ENGINE, THE PLUGGED NOZZLES WERE REPLACED AND THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TO AGAIN SPRAY CHEMICAL. AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE FLYING ABOUT 200-250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AT AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 30-40 KNOTS, WITH A 10-15 KNOT WIND FROM THE SOUTHEAST, HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO LINE UP FOR HIS SPRAY SWATH. THE HELICOPTER YAWED 20-30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT WHICH COULD NOT BE CORRECTED WITH FULL LEFT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL INPUT. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER BUT WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE OR FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND THE RIGHT YAW IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF "LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS." ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA01TA121](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01TA121), Apr 13, 2001: Bell OH-58C (N91335), Panama City, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The poor in-flight planning by the pilot for failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering to begin spray operations resulting in the loss of tail rotor effectiveness, subsequent in flight… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.