Bell OH 58A N288NS

Summary

On 19 February 2020 at about 03:15 local time, a Bell OH 58A registered N288NS, operated by A Farmer Service Corp, was involved in an accident near Colexico, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 February 2020 at 03:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Colexico, California, United States

Coordinates

33.1333, -115.7000

Aircraft

Bell OH 58A

Registration

N288NS

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1970

Engines

1

Operator

A Farmer Service Corp

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Imperial → Imperial

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR20CA092

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to arrest the descent rate while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in impact with terrain. 

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during an agricultural application flight, he sprayed a row on the field and then climbed the helicopter to avoid wires on the south side of the field. He then turned the helicopter right and began to descend back to the field. After he cleared the wires, he entered the field's spray line and began raising the collective and noticed that the torque gauge was responding; however, he failed to arrest the descent, and the helicopter subsequently impacted terrain and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.