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20011022039529A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell OH-58A · Bartow, FL · October 22, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 22, 2001 · 01:05 local
Place
Bartow, FL
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N911DB
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA02GA011
Reported as
Bell OH58A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
1,045 total230 in this make and model115 in the last 90 days
N911DBRegistration cancelled Mar 18, 2002 · Bell OH-58AS/N 72-21189Airframe modelBell OH-58A

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The public-use helicopter, operated by the polk county sheriff's office, collided with swampy terrain in an unlighted rural area about 2.5 miles nw of Bartow municipal airport at about 0105 EDT. The pilot and observer on board were fatally injured, and the helicopter was demolished. Both occupants were deputies, and they had been conducting law-enforcement aerial-surveillance activities using night-vision goggles (NVG) prior to the accident. They were reportedly enroute to another location for additional surveillance when the mishap occurred. The PIC was reportedly using NVG for the entire flight. Dark-night visual conditions prevailed at the time, and weather conditions reportedly varied between IMC and VMC. At 0100 EDT, the nearest weather reporting site at winter haven (gif) was reporting 10 statute mile visibility and few clouds at 400 ft., with temperature and dew point both at 23 deg. C. other law-enforcement pilots flying in the area reported sporadic IMC (rain showers & fog) passing through the area around the time of the mishap.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PUBLIC-USE HELICOPTER, OPERATED BY THE POLK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, COLLIDED WITH SWAMPY TERRAIN IN AN UNLIGHTED RURAL AREA ABOUT 2.5 MILES NW OF BARTOW MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT ABOUT 0105 EDT. THE PILOT AND OBSERVER ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, AND THE HELICOPTER WAS DEMOLISHED. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE DEPUTIES, AND THEY HAD BEEN CONDUCTING LAW-ENFORCEMENT AERIAL-SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES USING NIGHT-VISION GOGGLES (NVG) PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THEY WERE REPORTEDLY ENROUTE TO ANOTHER LOCATION FOR ADDITIONAL SURVEILLANCE WHEN THE MISHAP OCCURRED. THE PIC WAS REPORTEDLY USING NVG FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. DARK-NIGHT VISUAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS REPORTEDLY VARIED BETWEEN IMC AND VMC. AT 0100 EDT, THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING SITE AT WINTER HAVEN (GIF) WAS REPORTING 10 STATUTE MILE VISIBILITY AND FEW CLOUDS AT 400 FT., WITH TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT BOTH AT 23 DEG. C. OTHER LAW-ENFORCEMENT PILOTS FLYING IN THE AREA REPORTED SPORADIC IMC (RAIN SHOWERS & FOG) PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AROUND THE TIME OF THE MISHAP.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA02GA011Accident · 2 fatalFinal reportBartow, FLThe pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC, and his failure to maintain altitude, resulting in an in-flight collision with the ground. Factors in this accident were fog, and dark night.Oct 22, 2001 · Destroyed