- Date
- April 26, 2022, 07:16 local (11:16 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Apopka, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N206BXBell 206
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220426002649A
- Case key
- 105003
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A collision with water following a loss of visual reference to the water surface due to sun glare.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the helicopter departed the landing zone to conduct an aerial application flight over a lake. He stated that he established course on his spray line but “lost sight of everything looking forward due to the glare off the water and the sun position.” He recalled having no depth perception when he looked down at the water and could not recall the helicopter impacting the water but recalled a momentary shudder followed by the helicopter coming to rest inverted. The helicopter’s fuselage, main and tail rotor blades were substantially damaged during the impact. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N206BX
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2872
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 12,575
- Engine
- Rolls Royce M250C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Coastal Air Service, Inc
- Registered owner
- Coastal Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2022 · 21 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 22, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 10,725 total · 3,087 in this make and model · 6,777 as pilot in command · 148 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL, 17 nm away
- METAR
- KORL 261153Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 21/18 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP212 T02110178 10211 20183 53006
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 10, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.