# Accident 20220426002639A: Garlick Helicopters Inc OH-58A+, Oakland, FL, April 26, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 26, 2022, 18:45 local time
- Place: Oakland, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: C33G
- Location: 28.5697° N, 81.6449° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.5697&lon=-81.6449&mi=10
- Aircraft: N281SP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N281SP) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Garlick Helicopters OH-58A+ (registry code 3740006, https://openairdocs.org/model/garlick-helicopters-oh-58a-plus) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce T63-A-720 (registry code 54227, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-t63-a-720) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GARLICK HELICOPTERS INC OH-58A+
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC T63-A-720
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 16,644 total, 3,141 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA22LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA209) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220426002639A

## Narrative

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

ON 04-26-2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 18:45 AIRCRAFT N281SP WHILE PERFORMING AERIAL SPRAYING (AQUATIC CONTROL) OF LAKE APOPKA, STRUCK THE WATER AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. THE AIRCRAFT RESIDED IN THE WATER AND THE PILOT WAS RESCUED BY A MEMBER OF HIS TEAM.

THROUGH INTERVIEWS, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT WHEN HE WAS SPRAYING IT WAS SUNNY AND THE LAKE WAS CALM CREATING A  GLASS/SLICK/MIRROR EFFECT.

WHEN SPEAKING WITH THE RECOVERY TEAM THAT WAS RECOVERING THE AIRCRAFT, THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE LAKE WAS LIKE A MIRROR WHEN THEY WERE RECOVERING THE AIRCRAFT.

THE PILOT STATED SHORTLY BEFORE THE INCIDENT THAT HE WAS PERFORMING AERIAL SPRAYING HE MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH ANOTHER HELICOPTER (PART OF HIS TEAM) OF HIS CURRENT LOCATION THEN GLANCED AT THE AGNAV GPS, WHICH IS THE LAST THING HE REMEMBERED BEFORE HE HIT THE WATER.

THE PILOT DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.

THE PILOT HAD ACKNOWLEDGED AND WAS AWARE OF THE DIFFICULT CONDITIONS THAT DAY.

PILOT CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THE AIRFRAME, FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE.

## 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 ERA22LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA209), Apr 26, 2022: Garlick Helicopters OH-58A+ (N281SP), Oakland, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to continue the low-altitude aerial application flight over water conditions that degraded his depth perception, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the 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.

---
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.