Garlick Helicopters INC OH-58A+ accident near Rowley, Massachusetts, July 15, 2010
On July 15, 2010 at about 5:58 pm local time, a Garlick Helicopters INC OH-58A+, registered N802JB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Rowley, Massachusetts. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the power turbine governor internal driveshaft bearings, resulting in the failure of the governor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2010 · about 5:58 pm local time
- Place
- Rowley, Massachusetts · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Garlick Helicopters INC OH-58A+ · all OH-58A+s on the register
- Registration
- N802JB · registry record · serial 71-20851
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was conducting an aerial application flight when the low rotor rpm audio warning sounded. The pilot elected to fly the helicopter for another 30 minutes to ensure normal operation. Shortly thereafter, about 200 feet above ground level and at 70 knots, the low rotor rpm audio warning sounded again. The pilot lowered the collective to restore rotor rpm, but engine and rotor speed accelerated through the upper limits. The pilot then reduced the throttle to idle and performed an autorotation. The helicopter landed hard into a salt marsh, buckling the tail boom. The pilot did not report any flight control anomalies with the helicopter. A postaccident examination of the governor drive housing and driveshaft assemblies revealed that the inner and outer raceways were "frosted" in the ball tracks. Additionally, the ball tracks were offset from the center of the raceway in a manner consistent with a thrust load towards the driveshaft nut, relative to the drive housing. The ball track offset was not circumferentially uniform, suggesting that the bearing inner races were misaligned relative to the outer bearing races. In general, such misalignment typically results in excessive forces and subsequent fatigue failure of the ball separator. The failure of the drive bearings caused the power turbine governor to provide the incorrect signal to the main fuel control. A review of the engine records indicated that the last overhaul of the power turbine governor was at 1,942.9 hours time since new. The power turbine governor has accumulated an additional 1,590 hours time since overhaul. The power governor turbine time before overhaul (TBO) time is 2,000 hours.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Turbine governor › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,345 hours in all; 3,395 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 6,345 as pilot in command; 5,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 14, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,297 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 8, 2010; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce T63-A720 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Horizon Helicopters LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Newbury MA at 6:42 pm
- Destination: 2B2 Rowley MA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BVY, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N802JB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA10LA362.