# Accident 20081215856669A: Bell OH58C, St. Cloud, FL, December 15, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 15, 2008, 10:30 local time
- Place: St. Cloud, FL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: NDBG
- Location: 28.2847° N, 81.2889° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.2847&lon=-81.2889&mi=10
- Aircraft: N659HA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N659HA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell OH-58A (registry code 1181579, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-oh-58a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison T63 series (registry code 03031, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-t63-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL OH58C
- Reported engine: ALLSN T63*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA09CA090](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA090) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081215856669A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) 137 OPERATOR WAS FLYING LOW OVER A LARGE LAKE SPRAYING CHEMICALS, THE LAKE WAS EXTREMELY CALM AND APPEARED TO BE GLASSY.  THE PILOTS DEPTH PERCEPTION WAS AFFECTED AND SPECIAL DISORIENTATION OCCURED THUS CAUSING HIM TO FLY INTO THE WATER.  THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE WITHOUT INJURY BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

## 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 ERA09CA090](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA090), Dec 15, 2008: Bell OH-58C (N659HA), Osceola County, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's misjudgment of altitude during low-altitude spraying operations, which resulted in an in-flight collision with water.

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.

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