- Date
- July 27, 2022, 15:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Bloomsburg, PA · Near 400 Ridge Road, Bloomsburg, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N132HDGarlick OH-58A+
- 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
- 20220727020189A
- Case key
- 105600
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
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and visual lookout, which resulted in impact with a powerline.
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
During an aerial application flight while spraying a corn field, the helicopter’s tail section struck a powerline. The pilot did not see the powerline, which crossed over the middle of the cornfield perpendicular to the spray pass he was performing, but he knew what he had struck as soon as the helicopter came into contact with it. He had already begun to pull up out of the field when the helicopter struck the powerline and was still moving forward at approximately 50 mph. As the helicopter slowed and he reached about 200’ agl, the helicopter began a yaw to the right that developed into an uncontrollable spin in the same direction. As the helicopter began spinning faster and faster, the pilot rolled off throttle to minimize the torque induced rotations. During the touchdown, the helicopter impacted in an approximately level attitude, and then rolled over on its right side, and was substantially damaged. The pilot noted that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation and that the accident could have been avoided if more “field recon” procedures were done to be certain that powerlines are avoided.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N132HD
- Reported as
- Garlick OH-58A+
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 41930
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 9,030
- Engine
- Allison 250 C20C, 420 hp, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Triple F Flying Inc
- Registered owner
- Triple F Flying Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 15, 2022
- Departed
- None · Buckhorn, PA
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 13, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,720 total · 2,100 in this make and model · 5,425 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KSEG, 19 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSEG 271853Z AUTO 21005KT 10SM SCT048 BKN060 BKN080 28/19 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP133 T02780194=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 27.7 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.
Other investigations on N132HD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.