20200514006229A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell OH-58C · Livingston, NY · May 14, 2020

Date: May 14, 2020 · 03:30 local
Place: Livingston, NY
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N183MP
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA20CA184
Reported as: Bell OH-58C
Reported engine: Allison 250
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,379 total565 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days

N183MPRegistered now · Bell OH-58CS/N 71-20666 Airframe modelBell OH-58C Engine modelAllison 250-C20CTurbo-shaft

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.

On 05-14-2020 at approximately 03:30 am EST, while en-route to its destination in the town of Livingston, new york, a Bell OH-58C helicopter N183MP S/N71-20666 certificated in the experimental exhibition category, contacted a dense row of trees resulting in loss of control of aircraft. The aircraft crash landed into an adjacent field and suffered major structural damage to the main rotor system, trail rotor system, fuselage and tail sections. The pilot and passenger did not suffer any injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON 05-14-2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 03:30 AM EST, WHILE EN-ROUTE TO ITS DESTINATION IN THE TOWN OF LIVINGSTON, NEW YORK, A BELL OH-58C HELICOPTER N183MP S/N71-20666 CERTIFICATED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION CATEGORY, CONTACTED A DENSE ROW OF TREES RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASH LANDED INTO AN ADJACENT FIELD AND SUFFERED MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM, TRAIL ROTOR SYSTEM, FUSELAGE AND TAIL SECTIONS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES.

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 ERA20CA184Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · Data collectionFinal reportLivingston, NYThe pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance while maneuvering at low altitude at night, which resulted in the helicopter striking a tree.May 14, 2020 · Substantial damage