Bell OH 58A accident near Ponce, Puerto Rico, October 25, 2016
On October 25, 2016 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1971 Bell OH 58A (helicopter), registered N161PD, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Ponce, Puerto Rico (Mercedita airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The helicopter flight instructor's inadequate demonstration of a simulated engine failure, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 2016 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ponce, Puerto Rico · Mercedita · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH 58A NO SERIES, built 1971 · all OH 58As on the register
- Registration
- N161PD · no longer on the register · serial 71-20559
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an instructional flight, the helicopter was about 40 to 50 ft above ground level and at 60 knots when the flight instructor intended to demonstrate a simulated engine failure and run-on landing. Although the flight instructor had intended to recover from the maneuver before an actual run-on landing, he noticed that he did not have enough rotor rpm to recover and chose to continue with the run-on landing. The helicopter then landed hard on a taxiway and slid about 300 ft before coming to rest upright. The flight instructor added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the aft engine bulkhead and wrinkles in the helicopter panels near the tailboom and rotor gear box.
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
- Simulated/training event during takeoff
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command; 25 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 21, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 866 hours in all; 7.5 in this make and model; 20.3 in the last 90 days; 15.3 in the last 30 days; 721 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 9, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,496.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 30, 2016
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce T63A720 (turboshaft); 2,245 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSE Ponce PR at 8:00 pm
- Destination: PSE Ponce PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 6,900 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from PSE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 21, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Flight Instructor's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.